Dimensional Heroes: Three Houses
by jexi the hunter
Summary: A look into the future as the next generation attends the school known as the Officers Academy. But can the next generation hold up against the events to come?
1. The Next Generation

"This is so exciting. This place we're going is so awesome. Hey, Glitz? I got a question...where are we going again?" Jin asked.

"*Sigh*. You know, sometimes I wonder how that little brain of yours works. We're going to the Officers Academy in Fodlan." Glitz said.

"The Officers Academy? Sounds interesting." Thetis said with a hand in his hoodie pocket.

"You know, you didn't have to do this. You aren't being forced to go." Glitz said.

"I wanted to since the rest of us and our friends are going." Thetis said.

"Please, they aren't friends. Our parents are friends. These guys are just strangers to us." Glitz said.

"What about Jason? His dad's a friend of ours." Jin said.

"Jason isn't exactly my favorite person in the world. He just goes and assumes we're friends just cause of our parents." Glitz said. "I would have been happier back home."

"You know why dad wants you to go right?" Jin asked. "The disaster?"

"Hey! Setting a neighborhood on fire by accident is not a disaster." Glitz said.

"Please don't fight, can't we all just get along and try to be friends?" Maria said.

"Sure thing, Maria!" Jin said.

"I didn't agree to that!" Glitz said. "Geez. The heck did we get stuck with the robo kid and the song mage?"

"We met up remember?" Jin said.

"I know that but…" Glitz said as he looked to the ground. "Hmm. These footprints...bits of leather...okay. We're turning back."

"What's wrong?" Thetis asked.

"The quality of the leather tells all. Bandits." Glitz said.

"I can sense them approaching a village." Maria said.

"Let's go help them!" Jin said.

"Hold on, Jin." Glitz said. "We're supposed to go directly to Garegg Mach Monastery, remember? No distractions. Besides, that village has nothing to do with us. Just a bunch of strangers who...Jin are you…" he said before seeing him gone and charging for it. "Damn it, Jin! One of these days, you're gonna get me killed!" he said going after him.

"We should go too." Thetis said as he pulled out a small blue device as he tossed it up a couple of times before pulling it to his chest. "Rock On!" he said as he was encased in ice before shattering it as he was wearing armor based on Leviathan.

"O-Okay. Hopefully, the others are there too." Maria said as they followed Glitz and Jin. "Please wait for us!"

The foursome saw two blue-haired figures knocking out two bandits.

"So much for making a peaceful stop on the way to Garegg Mach." the boy said.

Jin then gasped as he blew back a bunch. "Cedric, Athena! You're headed to the Academy, too?!"

"Jin? Yes, that's right. We thought we'd make a stop here on the way, but then bandits started attacking." Athena said. "We would appreciate it if you all lent us a hand in stopping them."

"Of course, we'd be happy to help!" Maria said as she donned a fiery red and orange dress. "Please protect me while I focus on my Song Magic."

"You can count on us." Cedric said as he drew his blade. "No mercy for those who torment the innocent!"

"Yeah...let's…" Jin said before Glitz grabbed him.

"No way. We're not here to play hero. We're going to…" Glitz said before a bandit tried to attack before Glitz grabbed his arm. "Look, mind holding this?" he said handing him a bottle.

"Uh…" the bandit said before Glitz jumped back with Jin as it exploded.

"What the hell?!" Jin said.

"That was a bottle of the Flame Liquid I was working on back home." Glitz said.

"Nice pyrotechnics." Cedric said as he knocked out another bandit with the back of his sword.

"Here goes." Maria said. "Fire Blaster!" she called launching a large fireball at a small group of bandits as her clothes turned back to normal.

"Hey, quit makin' fools of yerselves! They're just kids!" the bandit leader named Kostas said.

"Kids?" Jin asked. "We are…"

"He's right. We're just kids. So sorry to bother you. We were just leaving." Glitz said.

"Ha! A stupid coward." Kostas said.

"Excuse me but what was the word you just said?" Glitz said stopping in place.

"Uh oh… He said it." Cedric said.

"Oh dear." Maria said as she took cover behind Cedric.

"I said, yer a coward!" Kostas laughed.

"No...the other word. You just called me stupid, right?" Glitz said.

"Yeah, I did. So what?" Kostas asked.

"I don't think you got any idea who I am. I am Glitz and you're talking to the guy who's going to destroy the concept of magic." Glitz said taking a bottle out.

"Ha! I ain't falling for that!" Kostas said slashing the bottle thrown at him as liquid splashed on him. "Ugh! It smells awful."

"That's cause it's not my Flame Liquid, but its something similar. It's gasoline." Glitz said lighting a match.

"No, wait! I'm sorry I called you stupid! Don't kill me!" Kostas said.

"Don't worry. I won't kill you." Glitz said before lighting Kostas up as he shouted and ran. "Just gonna burn the lesson into your memory."

"Geez, Glitz… you're as brutal as ever." Jin said.

"Let that be a lesson to you all. Mock my brain or my science...and you'll get worse than a burn." Glitz said.

"Ahem… back on track, shall we be going to the Monastery?" Thetis asked as he detransformed.

"Oh yeah! Wait… why are we headed there again?" Jin asked as everyone fell over.

"Jin...you're such a scatterbrain sometimes." Cedric said.

Glitz sighed. "I suppose I have to explain the details of where we're going." he said as they headed on their path as he drew a circle in the dirt. "Imagine this as the whole continent of Fodlan, it's as massive as it comes. Now we're divided into four territories. In the south is the Adrestian Empire that has ample access to the sea. In the north, we have the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus with strong ties to the church. And to the East we have the Leicester Alliance made up of nobles from both areas to be free. And in the center is Garagg Mach, a sort of neutral territory home to the Church of Seiros, the Knights of Seiros and the monastery as well as the Officers Academy where they teach commoners and nobles from the other territories."

"I see. I have heard that this continent hasn't had a war in centuries. I have a feeling all of us going there is no coincidence." Cedric said.

"There's no such thing as coincidence." Glitz said. "As for the war part, you are right on the money. Things have been peaceful since the war years ago where the goddess Seiros killed the King of Liberation Nemesis."

"Hmm…" Cedric pondered in thought.

"Is everything okay, Cedric?" Maria asked.

"Uh, y-yeah. It's nothing." Cedric said.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. I understand." Maria blushed. "A-Also, my cousins said they would be waiting at the Officers Academy for us too."

"Yeah, a bunch of people from off this world are coming too! Some of their parents were on dad's team or were associates of him. Isn't that great? We get to meet the ones related to our dad's friends!" Jin said.

"We might not be so keen on friends at the Academy." Glitz said.

"Huh?" Jin asked.

"The academy divides its students into three houses based on the territories." Cedric said. "The Adrestian Empire has the Black Eagles, The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus has the Blue Lions, and finally, the Leicester Alliance has the Golden Deer."

"Exactly. And since we come from neither faction, no telling how they plan to split us up. And once again Jin, not our friends." Glitz said.

"Oh come on, Glitz, don't be such a downer. It'll be fine." Athena said.

"Downer? Please. I'm thinking logically." Glitz said.

It didn't take long before the group arrived at the Monastery.

"Wow… This place looks so beautiful! And looks at all the students here!" Athena said.

"I can't wait to start here! I bet the monastery is full of so many amazing people!" Jin said.

"Cut that out." Glitz said before they heard snoring. "What the?" he said before they saw a boy with green hair sleeping behind a bush with a few books. "I wouldn't call that amazing."

"Be careful, Glitz. That could be you if you overwork yourself." Cedric said.

"Don't worry, he's just takin a catnap." a western like voice said as a young boy in cowboy gear approached. "Howdy. You're uh… Jexi and David's kids, right?"

"Yes, that's right. I'm Cedric, and this is my sister, Athena." Cedric said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Athena said with a bow.

"I'm Jin! And this is Glitz, Maria and Thetis!" Jin introduced energetically.

"Don't do that, you idiot!" Glitz said smacking him before he was hit with a punch.

"Hey, don't be getting into fights on my watch. I catch you guys fighting, I'll break it up." said a young boy with short light blue hair.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Glitz asked.

"Oh. Caspar von Bergliez. Second son. I'm studying to become a knight here." he said.

"And uh… ahem… I'm Crosshairs Trav. Just call me Cross though." Cross introduced.

"Can you guys talk quieter? It's hard to sleep with you people talking so loud." said the boy with green hair.

"Oh and that's Linhardt. Don't worry about him. He prefers to sleep all day." Caspar said.

"Trav…. Oh! You're Connor's son!" Jin said.

"Damn right." Cross said. "Reckon ya'll are gonna be enrollin' here at the academy too?"

"That's right." Athena said.

"So am I. Coincidence, ain't it?" Cross asked.

"There is no such thing as coincidence." Glitz said.

"Still as stubborn as ever I see." A boy with snow-white hair said as he walked up to them.

"Of course you'd be here." Glitz sighed.

"Hey there, cousin. And hello to Thetis and the rest of you as well. My name's Aiden." Aiden said to Maria and the others.

"Well, I'll be. Yer Simons son aint ya?" Cross asked.

"Yes, and you must be Connor's son, it's nice to finally meet you." Aiden said. "By the way, has anyone seen Alex?"

"Here I am." A voice said as a male with blue hair and a red light floating behind him walked up. "Athena, Cedric, very good to see you both and to my cousins and their friends as well. My name is Alex Neptune to those who do not know me yet." he smiled gently.

"Sounds like we're havin' a next-gen Hero alliance gathering." Cross said.

"This is so awesome!" Jin said.

"Ugh...Hero Alliance. Why do people still get hung up on them after so many years?" Glitz wondered.

"Well the Hero Alliance was one of the most successful groups to have ever been formed." said a girl with pink hair. "After all, they changed history multiple times. Oh right. Hello. I'm Maya Belpois."

"It's nice to meet you." Athena said.

"Seems I'm just in time." said a young woman with brown hair and an orange highlight in the middle of her hair said as she walked in. "My name is Atlas Fefnir, the Flame MegaMan of Model F."

"Y'don't seem to have your pops fiery personality." Cross said.

"I'm the exact opposite, more of a calm and collected type as a soldier." Atlas said.

"Wow...hey do you go and smash things like the real Fefnir does?" Jin asked. "Maybe shoot laser beams too?"

"Something like that, yes. I can even change the trajectory and directions my shots go as well." Atlas said. "I even fire explosive grenades as well."

"How savage." a voice said. "I mean, one would have more dignity as a noble hero than to just lob things everywhere." said a young man with short purple hair with a rose on his uniform.

"I only do what's necessary to protect innocent people, not judge others based on their abilities." Atlas said.

"Well, you should. After all you carry a massive mantle as one of the former Spirit Force." he said.

"And what gives you the right?" Cross asked.

"Lorenz Gloucester. Of the Alliance territory. A noble." he said with a bow.

"Come on, knock that off. I mean, they are from heroic lines after all." said a dark skinned boy in yellow.

"Just as long as he keeps his thoughts on us to himself, we're good." Atlas said. "And you are?"

"Claude von Reigan. I'm the leader of the Golden Deer house this year and future leader of the Leicester Alliance." he introduced. "Cross right? What a coincidence...you're in my house this year."

Cross smiled at Glitz. "Heh. Coincidences do exist."

"No they don't. You're just trying to tick me off now." Glitz said.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Glitz." Cedric said.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm with the Golden Deer this year too." a boy with brown hair and a blue streak said coming up in street clothes with a UA shirt.

"Oh no…" Glitz groaned.

"Hey, I'm here too. Don't everybody make a big deal out of it." a girl with long, smooth black hair with a red and dragon-like street clothes and an open jacket said nonchalantly.

"Jason!" Jin said before looking at the girl. "And… some new girl I don't know!"

"So the dragon comes crawling out of her cave." Glitz said.

"Please don't be rude, Glitz." a voice said as a young woman with long red hair and blonde streaks, with a sword at her waist as she held a shield-shaped grimoire in her hand as she wore military clothing with an angelic theme to it as she had a gentle and calm aura to her appearance. "People may start rumors about you as well. My name is Mikasa Kisaragi, a pleasure to meet all of you."

"Mikasa!" another girl said running up. She had blonde hair, and wore modern street clothes with a familiar sword at her side. "Please don't leave me behind like that again, I thought I was gonna get lost."

"My apologies, Amelia, I didn't mean to leave you behind like that." Mikasa said.

"So this is where all the commotion is at." a voice said from the air.

"Who said that?" Jason asked.

"Up here." The voice said.

Everyone looked up and saw a bird-like figure with a vest and a quiver on his back.

"Hey, aren't you…" Thetis trailed off.

"You're Tulin. Teba's son." Glitz said. "A Rito."

"That's right. When I met all of your fathers, I was just a hatchling, but I'm all grown up now." Tulin said as he descended down. "I've come here on the recommendation to hone my skills as an archer."

"Archery eh? My house specializes in that." Claude said. "So, whaddya say? You, me, Golden Deer? We could be great together."

"Thanks but...not happening. I've already been chosen for the Blue Lions." Tulin said.

"Well, what do you know, same as us." Cedric said.

"Yes...you people are in the Blue Lions." said a silver-haired boy. "I'm glad to meet you. My name's Ashe. I'm in the Blue Lion House too."

"It's nice to meet you, Ashe. I have a feeling we'll get along great." Cedric said.

"Ah...so we get a lovely lady in our house. Nice." said a red-haired boy as he held Athena's hand. "What do you say? You, me, dinner?"

"W-what?" Athena asked stammered.

"Sylvain, knock that off right now." said a girl with long blond hair. "She's not interested in your skirt chasing. You're as bad as the other kid."

"I'm sorry, other kid?" Cross asked.

"Well hello again my lovely lady." said a boy with blond hair styled in a spike with a purple spot on it. "So about that dinner?"

"Not happening." she said.

"Well...Maya...hey…" he said.

"Oliver...picking up women again?" Maya sighed.

"I can't help it. You don't just ask a guy not to do as he wishes." Oliver said.

"This is going to be a long year. Oh...the new recruits to the Blue Lions. Hello. I'm Ingrid. I'm in the same house." the girl said.

"It's nice to meet you. Thank you." Athena said.

"Oliver Della Robbia. A pleasure, milady. Though we may be in different houses, I hope we'll get to know each other better." Oliver said.

"Uh… Sure thing." Athena said.

"Don't pay him mind. He's always hitting on girls too." Maya said.

"And I thought my father had it bad in his time." a voice said as a young lady with red hair and blue streaks in a ponytail walked by.

"Rumors are true. The legendary womanizer went and had a kid." Oliver said.

"Don't speak ill of my father. At least he had some decency." the girl said.

"Hey, so did mine...after my mom of course." Oliver said.

"Yeah, maybe you should quit while you're ahead." Maya said.

The girl looks to Maya. "Thank you. You have no idea how bad those rumors tend to get me riled up."

"Not a problem. I only came to the Officers Academy so I could see if this world's magic could work best with the computers my parents are developing." Maya said.

"That sounds interesting. Ah! I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? I'm Nicole Wilder. It's a pleasure." the girl said.

"Nicole? You're here too?" a boy with brown hair and a red jacket asked.

"Tyrell? I didn't expect to see you here." Nicole asked.

"Yeah...and this one gets a pass." said a young boy with black hair. "I'm Felix. That's all I need to say."

"Well, we're gonna be seeing a lot of each other. We're in the same House this year." Tyrell said.

"Huh...wonder what house we got?" Jin asked.

"According to the papers...we're in the Black Eagle House." Glitz said.

"Really? That's my house." Caspar said. "Nice."

"Oh...great." Glitz said with a forced smile.

"Oh come now. You're joining one of the greatest houses here in the entire academy." said a young man with long orange hair. "Ferdinand von Aegir and I welcome you to the Black Eagle house."

"Well, suppose things could always be worse." Glitz said.

"He just said what I think he said, didn't he?" Thetis asked.

"Excuse me, pardon me, Comin' through!" another voice called as a young boy with dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes came running around a corner...and straight into Glitz, the collision sending both boys to the floor.

"Of course...you're here. The self-proclaimed hero of the light." Glitz said.

"Ow...sorry about that, pal." the boy said as he got up. "Didn't see where I was going. I'm Edward Anarchy, and the guy you just described was my old man Mark. Don't worry, I consider myself a lot less uptight. So uh...who're you? Wait, don't tell me! You're one of the kids of my dad's old circle of friends, right?"

"Yeah. My name is Glitz. I'm the one who's gonna destroy the concept of magic and replace it with logic." Glitz said.

"Huh. Well, good luck with that." Edward said. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know where the Black Eagles dorm is, would ya? I've been looking around for a half-hour and haven't seen it."

"That's because the dorms are separated by class: Commoners stay on the lower floors and Nobles stay on the second. And those dorms are at the far left of the monastery." Ferdinand said.

"Really, that means that Athena, Nicole and I will be in the Noble dorms this year." Cedric said.

"Nobles, you?" Ashe asked.

"Of course. Their mother is the Queen of Floralia. Those two are practically prince and princess." Felix said.

"Fascinating. This monastery holds so many mysteries." a boy said in a detective's hat as he came by with a magnifying glass.

"Tatsuya Saihara. How goes it...Junior Detective?" Glitz smirked.

"Going well. And while I'm at it, I would like to say that your objective of destroying the concept of magic is deemed impossible." Tatsuya said. "Magic exists because there exists mana, life force for the world. To destroy the concept of magic is no different than to destroy the world itself."

"Ah...there's where you're wrong. If I can explain it with rules and logic, it won't be considered magic anymore." Glitz said.

"So, is this just about everybody?" Cross asked.

"Everyone else is probably in their classrooms or dorms. I know Bernie's still holed up in her dorm." Caspar said.

"Actually, weren't Ben and Sakura supposed to come with you Edward?" Jason asked.

"Oh...shoot, we split up to cover more ground." Edward said. "Well, maybe they got lucky and found the dorm before me. By my guess, I'd say Ben would be on the Nobles floor, so Sakura and I'll be in the dorm on this floor."

"Ben, a noble?" Maya asked.

"Well sure. He is the son of Princess Leia after all. Han and Leia's son who's...y'know, not the one with the anger issues and in the First Order?" Jason asked.

"Oh no, he's still got anger issues, he's just better at the whole 'tranquil fury' shtick than the other him." Mark said.

"He...doesn't like talking about that." Nicole said. "By the way, Tatsuya. Is there anyone else off-world that's in the Blue Lions?"

"There's one more, but I saw her with Annette and Mercedes earlier." Tatsuya said.

"Right then, I think we'd better get everybody settled into their new living spaces." Claude recommended. "Let's see, Jason, Cross, Ryuuko, Amelia...you four are in my house. Follow me, you're gonna love the others."

"Welp, let's go partners." Cross said.

"I can't wait, let's go see our classmates." Jason said.

"If there's a top bunk in the dorms, I'm taking it, calling it now." Ryuuko added in.

"O-Okay." Amelia said.

"Sylvain, let's get our new housemates settled in too." Ingrid said.

"Right. This way, everybody." Sylvain said. "Tatsuya, Athena, Cedric, Tyrell, Mikasa, Nicole, and Tulin. Right this way to the Blue Lion house." He said as he and Ingrid led the way.

"Guess that just leaves…" Caspar said.

"Us. Yeah." Glitz said as they headed off too.

"So it's just us now?" Maria timidly asked.

"Unfortunately. We haven't been assigned to any houses." Thetis said.

"So what do we do now?" Aiden asked. "I wonder if there's anyone who works here." he said before seeing a young man with dark green hair and black clothing approach. "Hmm. Who is that?"

"I did a little looking into before we came. That's Byleth. He was hired on recently as a teacher at the academy." Maria said.

"Maybe we should ask him what we should do?" Atlas asked.

"That seems to be the best course of action." Alex said as he approached with the red light following him. "Excuse me."

"Hm?" Byleth asked.

"You see we weren't assigned to any houses here so we have no clue where to go. Could you please help us?" Alex asked.

"Sorry but there aren't any house positions left for you five to join." Byleth said.

"I see, thank you." Alex said.

"Not a problem." he said as Alex sensed something powerful within Byleth as he passed by.

"What was that?" Alex muttered.

"I'm not sure." Aiden said.

"Um.. if we aren't enrolled in any of the three houses..Wh-what do we do now?" Maria asked.

"Maria has a point. We can't go back to our fathers and mothers empty-handed." Atlas said.

"This is quite the predicament we're in." Thetis said.

"Then we'll just have to act as mercenaries then." Aiden said. "Work for any house that asks for our help."

"Do you think the headmaster would mind?" Maria asked.

"You mean Archbishop Rhea? Nah, she's a kind soul from what I've heard. I'm sure she'll appreciate the extra hands." Thetis said.

"Very well." Atlas said.

And so, the year ahead has been set. Each of the three houses have gained new members in the next generation of heroes. Over the course of the year, they will learn new skills, bond with their house, and learn to use their powers. And perhaps one day ...be able to live up to the legacy that their parents paved.

The experience at the Officers academy begins now.


	2. Three Houses

With everyone settled into their new accommodations, the meet and greets in the house began. The first house to greet their new members were the Black Eagles, led by the Adrestian Empire's future ruler, Edelgard Von Hresvelg.

"Whoa...she looks powerful." Jin said.

"She's the future ruler of the empire. Don't go messing with her." Glitz said.

"Okay." Jin said.

"It's still a little shocking to me that we still have off-worlders joining our house. When the archbishop announced it happening, along with that new homeroom teacher, I did not see either coming." Caspar said.

"Caspar, aren't you being a bit rude to our new housemates?" Dorthea, the songstress, asked.

"You know it's a waste of time to expect politeness from him." Lindhart said. "In any case, I'm looking forward to the year ahead with the eight of you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to take a nap." he said leaving to do so.

"Yes, they all have a good gut." said Petra, a lone princess from the island country of Brigid.

"Uh...good gut?" Oliver asked.

"Oh...was I saying it wrong? Apologies. I'm still learning much about this country's language." Petra said.

"'Id imagine some of you are about the same age as us. I hope you don't mind if we treat you as equals. We treat each other that way, despite any differences in age or status." Ferdinand said.

"That sounds cool with me." Edward replied. "I'm glad to be here with you all."

"Now, all of you please keep this in mind." Edelgard said. "I want all of you to know it's perfectly fine to treat me as you do the others. While I may be the Empire's Imperial Princess, I am just another student in this academy like you all. I have high hopes for you all, and I heard that two of you were responsible in fending off a bandit attack. Which one of you was it?"

"Hehehe! It was us!" Jin said shoulder to shoulder with Glitz.

"Quit doing that! But yeah, we did send them running." Glitz said.

"I see. Glitz and Jin, was it? I'm sure you and the other six young students we have gathered will help us lead the Black Eagle House to greatness." Edelgard said.

"Sure, Sure. Now let's break the ice with a little training! I wanna see what these guys can do." Caspar said.

"Why will the ice be broken? Is this a custom I have missed in my studies?" Petra asked.

"No, not actual ice, it means… well, we're just gonna get to know em." Caspar corrected.

"I don't wanna train! Can't we just stay in the classroom and… study from books?" Bernadetta asked, looking away.

"If you ask me, a nice calm chat over some tea should help us get to know them." Dorothea recommended as Linhardt snored.

"I know we all agreed to treat each other as equals, but there's a limit to what I can tolerate. The Black Eagle house needs order." Ferdinand said.

The eight newcomers were all staring at the six bickering students of the Black Eagle House, only Edelgard and her cohort Hubert remained unaffected.

"Looks like you eight are tasked with staying with this rabble. I don't envy any of you." Hubert said.

"Please excuse them, they're not normally this…. Rowdy." Edelgard said. "I do hope all of you can manage."

"You kidding?" Edward said. "I'm loving this group already!"

"Let me make things clear to you eight strangers...impede Lady Edelgard in any way...and none of you will see the light of day." Hubert said.

"Hubert!" Edelgard scolded.

"I'm only looking out for your best interest. We may be classmates but by no means I have to like them." Hubert said with a bow.

"Hmm...he's scary isn't he?" asked a boy with headphones and green hair.

"Yeah...wait...the heck did you come from?!" Jin asked.

"Hmm? Oh. I've been here for a few days. I'm Voltic Zest. A pleasure." he said putting the headphones back on.

"Voltic was the first to arrive before the seven of you." Dorothea said. "Not much of a talker a lot of the time though."

"Excuse me. Am I interrupting anything?" Aiden asked as he walked into the room.

"No, you're not. Are you joining our house as well?" Petra asked.

"I'm afraid not. We could only accommodate the eight already here." Ferdinand said.

"That is as Professor Byleth said, I only came to see how Jin and the others were doing." Aiden said.

"We're doing great, Aiden! These guys are so fun to be around." Jin said.

"I can see that." Aiden sweatdropped a bit before turning to Edelgard as he bowed his head. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess Edelgard. I am Aiden Emiya."

"A pleasure. Now, I would like to get to know all of you." Edelgard said. "Who would like to go first?"

_Meanwhile, in the Blue Lion's home classroom…_

"Ah, it looks like everyone's here." A young man in blonde hair said seeing the new arrivals.

"Wait! The new group of students to our house included..." orange haired Annette asked in shock. "No, I can't believe it! The Son and Daughter of one of the most skilled Demon Hunters in all the multiverse! It's really an honor to meet you both! Wait, what am I saying?! They're the same age as us and they're going to be our classmates… oh! Sorry I said that!"

"Someone's quite the fan of our father." Athena said with a giggle.

"Without a doubt, and he has a wonderful daughter. So...shall we head off together? You and me?" Sylvain asked.

"Back off." Cedric said.

"Please, let us not fight with each other, this is our chance to become friends and comrades." Nicole said.

"I'll admit, having so many young individuals with high valued parents is very nerve wracking." Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, future king of Faregus, said. "Even though you are our classmates, it doesn't sit well with me. After all, we wish to show you all due respect."

"Don't let our parents' status intimidate you, Prince Dimitri. Please address us as you normally would anybody else." Cedric said.

"Yes, we are all friends here." Mikasa said with her eyes closed.

"If they say it's okay, shouldn't that be enough? That is if his highness can't consent such a thing." Sylvain piped in. "After all, we're already speaking to our future king this way, so we may as well relax our speech around these guys, right?"

"Well, were not in the kingdom, so it only goes to follow to speak companionably… very well. If they say it's fine, we ought to accept this kindness gratefully." Dimitri said.

"Cedric, a-are you here?" Maria asked.

"In here, Maria." Cedric said.

"H-Hello, I was just exploring the academy, and came to see you and e-everyone else." Maria said. "It's nice to meet all of you, my name is Maria Neptune." she said as she curtsied.

"That said, I have heard of Cedric's combative ability, and his victory against a bandit raid." Felix, the lone wolf of the lions, piped in. "If you are able to, come to the training ground. I want to see what you are capable of."

"I'll be looking forward to the challenge, Felix." Cedric said.

"Right into the thick of it from the start, Felix?" Dimitri asked. "As it were, count me in for any such battle."

"I'll join too! Well, only to watch of course…" Ashe said.

"Nonsense Ashe. you should join us as well." Dimitri said.

"If you get injured, I will be happy to heal you." Mercedes, the cleric said.

"M-Me too, if none of you don't mind." Maria said.

"Not one hour in this classroom, and you already have a rivalry. I guess old habits really do die hard, don't they?" a voice asked as a feline-like girl was seen in one of the seats.

"Oh...her. She's someone who came the day before you guys arrived." Ingrid said. "She calls herself Cheetah II."

"Cheetah, huh? My father mentioned a lot about her. Apparently, his rivalry with her is one of the biggest highlights of his career, or so it's said." Cedric said.

"That's right. My mother talks about him a lot as well. They even worked together a few times...albeit reluctantly, from what she's saying." Cheetah II said.

"But you don't actually believe that, do you?" Cedric asked.

"Not really. I heard that rivals make good partners in battle because they know each other so well. If you want to be more casual, you can call me Valeria. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Cheetah II said.

"It's nice to meet you as well. I have a feeling we will all get along very well." Cedric said.

"N-Nice to meet you as well." Maria said. "I hope we can become great friends." she said shyly.

"Hmm. You do not seem like someone who would harm his highness." said a large dark skinned man. "I will welcome you. I am Dedue." he said.

"Eep!" Maria squeaked as she hid behind Cedric. "H-Hello."

"I see. So you are someone who is frightened of those from Duscar." Dedue said.

"Duscar?" Cedric asked.

"It's a territory off the side of the Kingdom." Cheetah II said. "Four years ago, a skirmish took place there that led to the death of the king and many revered knights. And the people of Duscar were targets of discrimination among its populace."

"I-I see. I'm so sorry to hear that." Cedric said.

"I apologize as well, I didn't mean to be rude, I just felt intimidated by your size, that's all." Maria said.

"It is fine. I am used to this by now. I only live to protect his highness." Dedue said.

_Meanwhile in the Golden Deer House…_

"Okay guys. Let's give a warm welcome to our newest house members." Claude said.

"Yeah! Oh we're gonna need a whole lotta food to celebrate this." said Raphael, a merchant training to become a knight.

"It's nice to meet all of you. I hope we can become good friends." Amelia smiled, radiating an aura of kindness.

"I bet some of you guys choose this class just to get to know me better. I'm flattered." Claude said. "Whoops. Maybe I should choose my words more carefully now. I mean, some of you are descended from some of the big shots in the worlds out there."

"You don't… really need to think of me as my dad. I want to be like him, but I'm nowhere close to being at his status." Jason said. "But I hope to be someday."

"Eh, I'm cool with whatever." Ryuuko said.

"Ryuuko, don't say that so casually! You're the daughter of the leader of the Black Dragon Sin Clan, be a little more respectable!" Mira Hirose, daughter of Koichi and Yukako, blurted out.

"Your parents were on my dad's team too, and he didn't treat them or Kaze's like they were that important, so…." Ryuuko said.

"Wow… for the daughter of a Yakuza Leader, she's pretty laid back and Nihilistic." Leonie said.

"It isn't to be said the same for the daughter of AJ Drake and Altera. She seems pretty nervous to be here." Lorenz said. "How unusual that is."

"..." Amelia said as she held the Sword of Mars close to her with a sad expression.

"Somethin' wrong Amelia? Yer lookin' a bit sad there." Cross said.

"It could just be nerves." Ivan Mustang said.

"Or she just doesn't wanna be here." Natsuki said.

"Hey, would you guys mind givin' her some room?" Kaze Kitsune asked. "She's obviously very unerved right now."

"I just want to be seen as a regular person despite the history my mom and dad had back then." Amelia said.

"Don't worry." Claude said. "You'll find plenty of a mixed variety here, nobles and commoners alike. You'll fit right in."

"That said however, knowing the histories of our new housemates, I have high hopes for them." Lysithea, the youngest student, said.

"Just because their parents were special doesn't mean they are, Lysithea." Hilda said. "Assuming they're going to be exceptional because of their lineage is a bad idea. Don't you agree, Marianne?"

"Uh...maybe." Marianne said stepping back shyly.

"What gives you the right to judge us when you know nothing about us?" Amelia said radiating a small aura.

"Hey, don't go acting out on the first day, please." said Ignatz, the son of a merchant, trying to defuse the situation.

"Sorry." Amelia said as the aura dissipated.

"Is everyone getting along well?" Alex said as he walked in.

"Splendid. Hopefully things stay like this before the upcoming mock battle." Claude said.

"Mock Battle?" Jason asked.

"In a couple of days, there'll be a small mock battle between the three houses, just to gauge our progress so far." Claude said.

"A chance to assess our combat abilities, huh? Interesting." Natsuki said.

"It's also a good chance for you all to form friendships and bonds with each other as well." Alex said.

"That's right. I'll be in the mock battle, as will Dimitri and Edelgard." Claude said. "Our new teach is gonna see just how skilled you newbies are too."

"Do you mean Byleth? We saw him in the courtyard." Alex said.

"That's him. Son of Jeralt, one of the most peerless mercenaries ever." Leonie said. "I'm his number one apprentice you know."

"Really?" Jason asked.

"So uh… who's gonna participate in this mock battle thing?" Ryuuko said.

"Good question." Claude said. "I may be skilled in Archery, but I'm not much of a fighter. I'm more of a… well, schemer."

"You're a strategist? That's pretty cool." Jason said.

"I'm pretty awesome, aren't I?" Claude asked. "Anyway, considering The Black Eagles excel in magic and the Blue Lions have the best military expertise, I think I might know who Edlegard and Dimitri might pick, and who I should have with me on our team."

"Already? You're quick." Cross said.

"They don't call me the schemer for nothing." Claude said. "Alrighty. For the battle ahead, I'm gonna need….Hilda, Lorenz, Ignatz and Raphael. As for you other eight, I'll let you decide among yourselves."

"So...which of us will go?" Amelia asked.

"Glitz will probably be on the team since he wants to show his status… so I'll go." Jason said.

"You sure, Jason?" Cross asked.

"Sure. I mean, Glitz is always trying to get me outta his way, and Jin'll likely join in no matter what. Besides, it's a good way for me to test my skills too. Who else wants to go with me?" Jason asked.

"I'll come." Amelia said.

"Y'sure Amelia?" Cross asked.

"Mmhmm." Amelia said. "I want to prove I can be just like everyone else here." she said.

"Alright. Four should be enough to help Claude and the others out, so how about…" Jason said.

"I'll go!" Natsuki said. "I've got a legacy to live up to!"

"Alright, Natsuki." Jason said. "We could use one more… Ryuuko?"

"Eh, sure." Ryuuko said.

"Awesome." Jason said. "Hehehe...can't wait for that day."

It was long before the day of the mock battle arrived as the three houses gathered in a small field.

"Okay, you see them yet?" Jason asked.

"Yeah. Looks like the Blue Lions and Black Eagles just arrived. Like you predicted, Jin is on the Black Eagle team but I don't see Glitz." Ryuuko said.

"Isn't that him over there?" Amelia asked looking to where other members were sitting out.

"Well… Glitz never really was much of a fighter." Jason said.

"Plus I don't have a death wish." Glitz called out.

"Weird, how could he hear us from…" Jason said before finding something. "Son of a, he bugged me."

"Yeah...and when this is over we're gonna have a long talk about what you assume you think you know about me." Glitz said.

"Unbelievable…" Cedric said, shaking his head. "Uncle Jexi told me that he was pragmatic, but this is just asinine…"

"He's not gonna make friends that way." Nicole said.

"High-five." Cedric said holding a hand out.

Nicole did so as she high-fived with Cedric.

"Okay, let's go over the rules. This is just a mock battle so no killing. Whoever's house has members left after the battle, wins." said Jeralt, a mercenary.

"G-Good luck, everyone!" Maria called out as she was with Alex and his group.

"You may begin!" Jeralt shouted as the three houses advanced.

"Oh yeah...this is gonna be fun!" Jin said charging in.

"Here I go!" Amelia said as she changed into her battle outfit based on her mother's.

"Yukianesa, Zero Type Izayoi, answer my call." Mikasa said as she donned robotic Valkyrie battle armor as she held a beam lance in her left hand and Yukianesa in her right.

Cedric draws his sword as it charges yellow. "Earthshaker!" he yelled as he leaped before slamming the blade on the ground, causing a small earthquake.

"Whoa! I thought he was an ice guy!" Oliver said as the earth shook.

"Not bad. But I can make it bigger. Elemental Equip! Earth!" Jin shouted as his hair took on a light brown color as bits of earth surrounded his arms. "Now...Ultimate Color...Earth Breaker!" he said striking the ground causing it to shake and crack across the battlefield.

"The hell was that?!" Cross said.

"What you just witnessed was the Element Style of Ultimate Color Fighting." Glitz said. "Jin can equip elements of his choosing and gain new abilities based on the element."

"Don't worry, brother. Help is on the way! Wind Blade!" Athena said as gusts of sharp winds start blowing on Jin.

"Looks like Athena played it smart. For every element Jin equips, he also gains a weakness." Glitz said. "That's probably the one downside of being one with a certain element."

"Looks like you've got some interesting new housemates, Dimitri." Edelgard said as she clashed lance and Axe with Dimitri.

"I could say the same to you." Dimitri said.

Meanwhile the Golden Deer were waiting to make a move.

"Uh… we gonna join in or what?" Ryuuko aked.

"Well, Claude said he did have a plan. Or is him being called the schemer something that he made up?" Natsuki asked. "If so, we've got some leader."

"Claude?" Amelia asked. "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry your heads kids. I'm just surveying the situation." Claude said. "Hmm. Looks like the Blue Lions are focusing on Jin and the Black Eagles. However the other three are trying to blindside us. Voltic, Ben and Oliver."

"And then there's Athena. If her name really does come from the Goddess of Wisdom, I doubt that we are even beneath her notice." Cross said.

"Looks like there might be a pincer situation going on for us if that's true. We'll need to take care of that before it becomes a problem." Ryuuko said.

"Alright, here's what we're gonna do." Claude said. "Ryuuko, you take down the ladies man. Amelia, see if you can slow Voltic down. I'll take a few potshots at em with my bow, so that leaves Ben with Natsuki."

"Okay." Amelia said.

"And me, what's my job?" Jason asked.

"Oh, I'm saving my best card for last. You wanna prove you belong here? Leave the strategy to me and wait for your opportunity, my friend. You'll get your chance." Claude said.

"Uh… okay. I'll trust you, Claude." Jason said.

As the Golden Deer went into the fray, Ryuuko engaged Oliver first before he even had time to react to her.

"Sorry, Ollie. But this is whatcha get for asking me out on too many dates. Nothing personal." Ryuuko said.

"Ah...ah ah ah." Oliver began singing as Ryuuko stopped in her tracks. "Did you forget who my mom is, dragon girl?"

"Yeah… a little." Ryuuko said.

"Now that you're under my spell, why don't you just…" Oliver said before he evaded a shot from Natsuki.

"Hands off!" Natsuki said.

"Okay...I can work with this." Oliver said as he started to sing again as they slowed to a stop.

"Hmm. Something doesn't add up. Jason being some hero fanatic would know about Oliver being part siren. So why...wait...where did Claude go?" Glitz said. "Oliver! Move, you idiot!" he shouted before a few arrows were fired as they pinned Oliver to a tree.

That snapped Ryuuko and Natsuki out of it as Claude came out from the cover of a hill and confidently saluted.

"You planned this." Ryuuko said bluntly.

"No, he used us as bait because Oliver's a ladies man." Natsuki said.

"Both, actually." Claude said. "Not bad, ladies."

"Well so much for seducing the female members of the Golden Deer. Guess we're going with Glitz's plan." Voltic said sticking a pole into the ground.

"What's with those poles?" Edward asked.

"They're...to act like lightning rods, yes?" Maya asked.

"Bingo. It's from an experiment I conducted a while back. By using a number of different metal poles and some electricity, you can create and electrified field that affects anyone on it." Glitz said. "All Voltic has to do is light it up with his Color Fighting and it's a one sided win."

Voltic charged up with electricity as he prepared to attack.

"Well that doesn't seem good…" Natsuki said.

"Dimension Slash!" Amelia called as she slashed forward and opened a hole in space and time. "Everyone, get back!"

"You heard the lady!" Claude called. Everyone retreated as Voltic prepared to strike.

"Checkmate." Glitz said.

"Ultimate Color…Voltic Field!" he shouted, hitting one of the poles as the electricity spread to the others creating a field of electricity.

"I call it the Electric Fence offensive. Or as it was originally named, a way to create a free power generator." Glitz said.

"Yes, but how long will it last?" Amelia said as the Dimension Hole sucked in the metal poles.

"Yes! Go, Amelia!" Jason said.

"Very impressive…." Lorenz said.

"However...you've left yourself wide open!" Voltic said. "Ultimate Color...Lightning Rush!" he said rapidly punching her and electrifying her.

Suddenly a rain of arrows flew overhead and pinned them both on the ground.

"H-how…" Voltic asked before noticing a familiar Rito. "Tulin… Of course."

"That's two of our people out." Maya said. "Only Jin and Ben are left for us."

"Jin can handle those Blue Lion guys. Ben...now he's a wild card. I can't tell what he's thinking." Glitz said.

Ben, in the meantime, simply stood in place before he looked at Claude. "He's the strategist for the Golden Deer." he said finally. "Take him out, the rest of them will be without a plan." He then took out a hilt before he ignited his lightsaber, three crimson blades shooting out from the top and sides, before he started running towards Claude.

Before he could strike, Jason rammed into him as he pushed him away.

"Whew. Thanks pal." Claude said.

"Anytime." Jason said as Claude retreated. "So, you really are here. I thought you would've stayed behind to help your mother with the Resistance as they fought the First Order."

"That's exactly why I'm all the way out here. They said I needed to train somewhere besides at home, since...well, they didn't say, but I felt that they were worried about me." Ben said. "But I didn't come here to talk. We're here to fight!"

Ben then dashed towards Jason and swung his weapon to catch his opponent in the middle, only for Jason to block the swing with the tip of his spear.

"I know we're here to fight, and just like you I wanna be strong. So let's let our saber and spear do the talking!" Jason said as he and Ben combated each other.

"You got this, Ben!" Edward called from the sidelines. "Kick his butt!"

"C'mon Jason, ya got this!" Cross cheered.

"You're tough, I'll give you that." Ben admitted to Jason. "But you won't defeat me with just a spear."

"You're right. Good thing I've got more tricks up my sleeve." Jason said kicking Ben back. He twirled spear around as light gathered in his hands before turning blue. "Spectral Blizzard: Flash Freeze Shot!" he said firing a bolt of ice energy from his spear, freezing Ben on the legs.

"Oh that's nice." Ben groaned. "I suppose this means I'm out?"

"Yeah, I think so." Edward replied from the sidelines.

"Jin! Hurry up and take them down! I know you can go farther than this!" Glitz shouted.

"Farther? Okay! Element Equip! Fire!" Jin said as his body became cloaked in flames.

"Big mistake. Let me show you one of my father's favorite techniques." Cedric said as his leg was coated in ice. "Arctic Style: Crystal Blitz!" he shouted as he dealt rapid ice-fueled kicks.

"This one's for Captain Luffy! Hawk Gatling!" Jin said retaliating back with rapid fire punches as he and Cedric contested each other.

"Come on…" Glitz muttered as the fighting continued onwards on the field before both were exhausted and on the ground.

"Okay...that's enough!" Jeralt said. "The fighting is over. The winner of the mock battle is...The Blue Lion house!"

"We did it… We won!" Tulin said.

"It was all thanks to your planning, Athena." Mikasa said.

"No… It wasn't just me. It was all of us." Athena said.

"Good battle, Athena." Jason said. "You're as sharp as ever."

"I agree. I think I may have some competition now." Claude added.

"Oh boy! I smell a friendly rivalry happening!" Edward said as he walked over to where Ben was still frozen in place. "Need some help there?"

"No, I can get myself out." Ben said as he used his lightsaber to cut the ice, freeing himself. "I suppose they really were as strong as you imagined they'd be. Good, I won't have to hold back in the future."

"Thanks, Ben. Maybe we'll fight some other time." Jason said.

"We all will...during the Battle of the Eagle and Lion during the Wyvern Moon." Glitz said.

"Battle of the Eagle and Lion?" Tyrell asked.

"It's a tradition here in the Officers Academy that takes place every year. A no-holds-barred mock battle between the three houses." Cedric said.

"And since it's such a big event, everyone has to participate. So until then, we should all train ourselves to our limits." Cheetah II said.

"We look forward to seeing the event take place." Alex said.

"And I'm looking forward to being there when it goes down!" Edward said, his expression one of excitement. "You Blue Lions and Golden Deers are gonna be in for a wild fight with all of us!"

"Bring it on." Ryuuko said.


	3. Familiar Scenery

As classes officially began for the three houses, everyone was working hard to develop their skills and bonds. In the classroom, Byleth instructed each house with very good instructions, helping everyone work their way to Certification exams.

Out of the classroom, everyone sometimes got together for tea, ate together in the dining hall, or came together for a little chat. Which is what Jason and Glitz got together one day after class.

"Hey there, Glitz. You wanted to talk to me?" Jason asked.

"Dude, that was weeks ago." Glitz said.

"I know, I know." Jason said.

"What is your deal? I have no interest in becoming a hero nor becoming friends with you." Glitz said.

"Well… I guess if you wanna put it in terms you can understand, I feel like I want to connect with you." Jason said. "Growing up, I never really… fit, with anyone in the neighborhood my dad settled down in. They didn't seem to like my pragmatic approach to everything and following my gut. That's why no one seemed to like me before I heard about everyone my dad became friends with, including yours. I just felt like if I connected with everyone my dad met in his travels, I could become better as a person. You can guess that includes their children too."

"What you're saying is completely illogical. Trying to connect with us because of our parents. Hate to break it to ya but we aren't them." Glitz said. "Unlike my brother, I don't really wanna be some statue hero for others to gawk at mindlessly."

"Yeah, I know. You've told me a million times. You wanna revolutionize what magic is about." Jason said.

"Wrong way of saying it. I wanna completely erase all traces of the word and make it more understandable as a science rather than something mystical." Glitz said.

"That...sounds kinda impossible." Jason said.

"Difficult, maybe. But impossible...now that's just a word that doesn't exist in my dictionary. Anything is possible, you just gotta make it so." Glitz said.

"Didn't one of our fathers' friends say something like that?" Jason asked.

"The Ultimate Astronaut, Kaito Momota. I'm not into heroes or the Dimensional Heroes or the old Hero Alliance but there were a few people I can look up to." Glitz said.

"Now that I think about it… Cedric and Athena's father believed in that notion very strongly, to the point where he felt he could actually change fate. I heard that he always says it when he finds himself in dire situations." Jason said.

"Me...I use it in a different manner." Glitz said going into his room as Jason was awed by the number of equipment set up inside. "This is my temporary lab."

"Wow… this is a lot of stuff." Jason said. "So you make all your scientific magic with this?"

"Not scientific magic...just science." Glitz said. "While I do have my mother's vast array of Elemental Magic, I don't really care much for it. I wanna try and use it in ways no one would even consider while working on my experiments."

"Wow, Glitz..." Jason said. "You may be a bit distant, but you're very passionate."

"No problem." Glitz said.

Meanwhile, Cross was walking down the halls when he spotted Cedric.

"Howdy Cedric. Got a minute to chat?" Cross asked.

"Of course, Cross." Cedric said.

"So, do ya sometimes feel a bit… nervous? Yknow, havin' to live up to your pops's legacy?" Cross asked.

"I guess you can say that. They're very big shoes to fill. Plus, members of royalty don't usually have that kind of luxury." Cedric said.

"Yer talkin about Sectonia, right?" Cross asked. "Yeah, it's kinda pressurin' having a queen for a mother, right?"

"Indeed it is. I always try to bring about the best conduct I could. Which is...kind of hard considering the enemies my father has." Cedric said.

"Well, ain't it just." Cross said. "I'm not sayin' I'm jealous of ya Cedric, I feel like it's hard bein' me as well. I mean, y'know the story with my pops. He died fightin' Brainiac. If he didn't get his powers…. Well, I wouldn't be here."

"Same here for myself and Athena. My mother was killed by Jason's father while she was in her...villain phase, as everyone called it. I'm not sure how to feel about that." Cedric said.

"I wouldn't say killed." Cross said. "Y'know she survived thanks to that freaky mirror."

"That, and Taranza's undying prayers. If it wasn't for that, my father and mother wouldn't have met and gone on so many adventures together." Cedric said.

"I guess ya could say we're kinda related." Cross said.

"I guess we do, in our own strange way." Cedric said.

_In the Courtyard…_

Maria was currently serenading while Alex and the others watched as it was heard across the academy.

"You know, ever since we got here, we haven't seen Archbishop Rhea at all." Thetis said.

"She only meets with the teachers, not the students." Maya said.

"Well we're technically not students." Aiden said.

"Don't go bothering her. While I hear she's a kind person, she has been known to get scary." Voltic said.

"I agree. There's something about her that I just can't get out of my head." Athena said.

"That wasn't our intention anyway. The interesting person here is Byleth." Alex said. "It feels like there is some sort of divine being laying dormant inside him."

"Oh, that's cause there is." Jin said.

"How would you know?" Voltic asked.

"Well I can't really see them but I can see the aura following him." Jin said.

"So can we. It's so weird." Cedric said.

"Hmm, I do recall one of my father's teammates had someone living inside her Spiria as they call it on her world when he along with your mom and dad first met her. Maybe it's the same with Byleth." Alex said.

"Probably. It does feel that way." Athena said.

"Anyway, how's it going with Debbie Downer?" Aiden said.

"You mean Glitz? Don't know. He barely interacts with… well, anyone any more than necessary." Cedric said.

"He's definitely like Auntie Elementa, that's for sure." Thetis said as he tossed Model L into the air.

"Oh he is nothing like mom. My big brother's always been like that." Jin said. "Though I don't really mind."

"It kind of makes me worried about his… You know, karma." Cedric said.

"That is true. I'm surprised it hasn't come to sting him back yet." Aiden said.

"Well, I did kinda slam into the guy when we first met, does that count as karma?" Edward asked. "But seriously guys, he's just got here, and we barely know the guy."

"Judging from the way he was in the mock battle last month, I think he prefers to keep it that way." Cheetah II said.

"It seems that way." Maya said arriving with a piece of paper.

"What's this?" Cedric asked.

"Our mission as a class for the month." Maya said.

"W-What does it say?" Maria asked.

"Hmm… It says that we are to contain a group of bandits. Wait… Athena, isn't that?" Cedric asked.

"I recognize the man in the photo. He's one of the bandits from the night before we came here." Athena said.

"Oh yeah. The one brother lit on fire." Jin said.

"He must have a good tolerance to fire if he's still around." Thetis said. "Hope you guys don't mind us tagging along."

"Is it really okay for us to be out there, though? We're just students." Tatsuya said.

"It's a request from the church. We can't just turn it down." Maya said.

"And since we joined as mercenaries, we'll help any of the Three Houses in need. And for this mission, we shall assist you all." Alex said.

"Hmm. Though the location they're hiding in. It is a bit strange." Maya said.

"Zanado...wait...the red canyon?!" Voltic said.

"You know of it?" Amelia asked.

"It was the place that was once home to the goddess and her children before it was destroyed by the King of Liberation." Maya said.

"No common courtesy at all, though it makes sense with them being bandits and all." Thetis said. "Time to clean house then."

"Relax. We have till the end of the month to get it done." Ryuuko said.

"Until then, we should get some more training in. We wouldn't want them to get the jump on us." Cheetah II said.

The days continued on as they continued to train and improve with each passing day up until the day of the mission.

"So, will you be coming Glitz?" Jason asked.

"Course I will. Zanado might have some interesting texts left behind. While I'm stuck on this world, there is something I want to research." Glitz said. "Do you know what Crests are?"

"Uh...Crests?" Jason asked.

"In short, they are so called gifts from the goddess that grant whoever holds them special abilities. While I doubt a goddess would be so kind, I can't pass up on looking into them. And since there are crests related to the goddess's children there, wouldn't hurt to try and find clues there once we finish." Glitz said.

"Trying to make an impression on Professor Hanneman?" Tyrell asked.

"Not exactly...but it wouldn't hurt for me to get closer to the teachers." he said with a devious smile.

"Teacher's pet." Aiden muttered.

"More like teacher's demon." Oliver said.

"Anyway, shall we get going?" Alex asked.

"Let's get to it." Cross said.

It wasn't long before they arrived in Zanado as the bandits were hiding out there.

"Huh?" Kostas asked spotting Glitz and the others. "It's those brats again!"

"Oh it's you. Hey, not too bad. You recovered pretty fast." Glitz said.

"I had to spend weeks recovering from the burns all over my body! And you're gonna pay!" Kostas said.

"Hmph, words of a weakling. If we're the ones that need to pay, then try and beat us!" Atlas said as she pulled out a red and orange colored device. "Rock on!" she called pounding her fist into the ground as a pillar of fire engulfed her as she was now seen in orange armor based on her father with dual buster gauntlets on her back.

"Get them, boys!" Kostas ordered as the bandits charged.

"Geez, they never seem to learn, do they?" Glitz said before taking something out. "Everyone, cover your eyes!" he said before tossing it.

"Huh?" the bandits said before a large flash went off, blinding most of the bandits.

"Now strike!" Glitz said as they attacked.

"I know they're bandits, but… That doesn't make this any easier." Cedric said as he struck one of the bandits.

"They're taking it harder than you are." Glitz said looking to the students of Fodlan attacking and putting down some of the bandits. "For them, this is their first real battle and the real horrors of war and fighting."

"Aisha!" Alex called as the red orb solidified into a young woman with grey blonde hair in red clothing as Alex summoned a katana. "Gale Slash!" he called as he slashed forward and Aisha followed up with her own katana slash on a bandit.

Jason downed a bunch of bandits with his spear. One tried to attack him from behind, but two well placed arrows from Cross and Claude downed him.

"Got your back, Jason!" Cross said.

"Thanks!" Jason said.

"Soft Tune Heal." Maria said as she changed into a cleric's dress as she started singing. "Here it goes, Triangle Tune!" she called finishing the song as the sound of a triangle was heard.

"Thanks." Cedric said as he recovered.

"Now to give us an extra boost." Tatsuya said taking out a keyboard. "Here it is. Enhancement Jazz!" he said playing on the keyboard as energy flowed into all of the students.

"Wait...I've read up on that. That's the Law of Melodies isn't it?" Maya said.

"A little celebration gift for getting in." Tatsuya said. "This Law was my mother's."

"Thanks, Tatsuya. Tiger Blade!" Tyrell said performing an upward slash into the air before sending the bandit back down.

"Light Spear!" Nicole said performing a spin slash into the air.

"Trinity Shot!" Amelia called firing out three different colored shots three times as they caused different elemental effects. "Scope Point!" she called forming target reticles onto multiple bandits before firing multiple prismatic beams that homed in on them.

"Let's get 'em, Sakura!" Edward said to his teammate as he ran up to a bandit, jumped over them, then kicked them in the back, sending them flying towards Sakura, who quickly charged her fist with Mana before striking the projectile thief, causing them to crash straight into the rocky canyon wall.

"Lux Macto!" Mikasa called launching an orb of light from her Grimoire Shield at another bandit before drawing Yukianesa. "Ice Bond!" she called drawing it in a circular motion as the bandit was frozen solid before swiping at him, causing the ice to shatter and send him flying.

"This...this wasn't supposed to be happening. They...they did this. They sent them here." Kostas said.

"They?" Glitz said. "Who is they?"

"S...shut up!" Kostas said charging at him before Jason pierced through him. "Gah...no...way." he said before falling backwards.

"Whoops." Jason said.

"Imbecile! He was about to tell me who they were. But...thanks." Glitz said. "He would have killed me if you didn't kill him."

"Look, I know we're not friends… but that doesn't mean I'll have your back." Jason said.

"You just contradicted yourself. You mean because we aren't friends doesn't mean you won't have my back. And what makes you so sure I won't get yours next time?" Glitz said.

"Argh, why do I confuse myself. I gotta stop with this pragmaticy." Jason said.

"Hold it. When we get back...you and me need to talk." Glitz said. "In private."

Cedric, however, couldn't help but see a look on Byleth's face. "Professor Byleth? Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh it's nothing. Just some sort of nostalgia like...I've been here before." Byleth said.

"Hmm...Think it may have to do with the being living inside him." Alex whispered.

"Yeah… I think so too." Cedric whispered back.

After the battle had finished, the students returned to the monastery to rest.

"So...what's up?" Jason asked.

"I realized a few things since coming here. If I'm ever going to accomplish anything around here...I need someone with muscle. An accomplice. Jason...I want you to work with me." Glitz said. "It's not easy for me to admit. But you're physically stronger than I am. I can't do this work on my own right now. Though you might not be the only one. Alex! Cedric! I know you two are outside."

"Of course you would sense us." Alex said.

"Damn it… We've been spotted." Cedric said.

"It's fine. Come inside." Glitz said.

Cedric let himself walk into Glitz's room. "I'm so sorry, Glitz. I know how disgraceful it is to eavesdrop on a private conversation, but my curiosity got the better of me."

"That makes two of us." Glitz said. "Before the bandit leader died, he said someone forced us on him. Him attacking us and those three leaders that day was no accident. It was planned."

"It may be someone in the church, but it's too early to jump to conclusions." Alex said before he spotted a mysterious figure prowling the grounds as Byleth followed them.

"Words like his usually coincide with the existence of a traitor." Cedric said.

"I agree. While it's a possibility, we don't have enough evidence to prove it yet." Glitz said. "That's where we come in. We're going to crack the mysteries of Fodlan. Behind Crests, this conspiracy, the goddesses mysteries...all of it. Though I should warn you now, if things go awry, we might end up falling into hell together."

"Do you really believe the Church of Seiros is not what it claims to be?" Cedric asked.

"I've read enough of the books here to know that. These are ripe with inconsistencies. Once I set my mind to something, I don't let go so easily." Glitz said.

"But even so, what are our roles in this? I know Alex is our inside man, but what about me?" Cedric asked. "I feel that I don't fit in with this kind of operation at all."

"You don't have to. I can handle the problem solving easy." Glitz said. "And on top of that, our basic assignments are getting closer to our classmates. Meaning making connections with them. Alex, while you aren't an official student, they still let you around the monastery. Your task is to investigate each of the people staying here. Including Rhea, Seteth and Flayn. Even the teachers if you have to. Now...keep this in mind guys. Only the four of us are to know this. No one else should know about this. Got it?"

"I… I don't know about that part. I'll have to lie." Cedric said.

"Deceit is part of the game here. This is a war for information. The more info we know in secret, the more we understand." Glitz said.

"We understand." Alex said.

"O-okay." Cedric said. "Though, I'm not sure if I can keep this from Athena. While I know that she wouldn't do anything to hurt us, she has a habit of figuring these things out."

"It's fine. It's not like you have anything to hide. Just get closer to your classmates. That's all we need right now." Glitz said.

"That, I can do." Cedric said.

"Good. I call our little meeting of the Fodlan Mysteries Society disbanded." Glitz said.

"Alright. In the meantime I shall investigate." Alex said.

"One other thing...considering how you were staring at Byleth, I want you to keep the investigation off him for now." Glitz said.

"Glitz is right. He's already got enough to deal with between teaching all three of our classes. We don't want to overwork him." Cedric said.

"I know." Alex said.

"Now remember...this is between the four of us." Glitz said.

"Five!" a voice said as they saw Edward hanging upside down outside the window.

"Oh...we are not doing well at this." Glitz groaned.


	4. Mutiny in the Mist

"So...any news on our mission this month?" Cross asked.

"Just arrived. We're to quell a rebellion lead by Lonato." Maya said.

"Wait...you...said Lonato? That...that's a typo isn't it?" Ashe asked.

"Ashe?" Cedric asked.

"It's not. He's leading a rebellion against the church and we've been tasked with stopping it by any means." Maya said.

"But...that can't be. He...has to have a reason." Ashe said.

"Ashe… Please just calm down. I-I'm sure we can resolve this in a peaceful manner." Cedric said.

"I...need to leave." Ashe said walking out.

"What's with him?" Ryuuko asked.

"Lord Lonato is Ashe's foster father." Ingrid said.

"Even though this is a mission...it's just too cruel." Maria said.

"Ashe…" Cedric muttered sadly.

"Hey, hold on a sec!" Edward interrupted. "It said 'any means', right? That implies that we don't need to kill the guy. All we gotta do is capture him and find out why he's doing this-" he said before Cedric grabbed him.

"Stop this, Edward! Do you have any idea how hard this is for Ashe right now?" Cedric asked.

"Uh...I mean, I think so...maybe I'll just stop now…" Edward muttered.

"Cedric, p-please calm down." Maria said holding his hand.

Cedric released Edward, who caught his breath. "Sorry… I lost my temper for a moment there."

"It's okay, there's already enough tension in the air right now, let's try not to make it worse." Maria said. "I d-don't want to see you be upset like this."

"Ashe is my best friend in this whole academy. That's why it pains me to see him like this." Cedric said.

"I k-know, but you don't have to shoulder the burden alone. P-please, let me help shoulder it with you." Maria said. "I care about you just as much as I care about everyone here."

"Cedric...maybe you should try and calm Ashe down. Maybe he'll feel better talking with you." Maya said.

"Okay. I'll see what I can do." Cedric said.

"Cedric…" Maria said.

A few days later, Cedric stops by the dorms.

"Ashe? You in here?" Cedric asked. "If you're not in the mood to talk, it's fine. I'll come back later."

"It's fine. Please, come in." Ashe said as Cedric walked right in. "Sorry if I've seemed distant the last few days. What's happening with Lonato it's...it's a lot to take in."

"I can understand that. Having to fight your own family is just too cruel. I understand why you feel that way." Cedric said.

"He's always been like a father to me. You see, after my real parents died of plague, I turned to being a thief just so me and my siblings could get by. My last hit was this mansion and in there was a priceless book. I was captivated by it. But before I could get away, the owner caught me. However, instead of turning me in, he offered it to me and taught me to read. That man was Lord Lonato. He even adopted me and my siblings when I told him about my situation." Ashe said.

"He sounds like a very kind man if he did all of that." Cedric said.

"He is. But as for this rebellion...I have a feeling why he might be doing this. Three years ago, the Knights of Seiros executed my adoptive older brother Christophe for what happened with the previous king during the Duscur incident. Lord Lonato might be doing it for revenge." Ashe said.

"That sounds terrifying… I'm so sorry. I didn't know that…" Cedric said. "You see… My father looked up to some knightley figures himself. It was they who helped him find his own sense of justice. And… I wanted to find my own sense of justice so that I can lead my people to a time of peace. I know that probably sounds silly. A royal figure like me wanting to be a knight. Even I thought that at first."

"It's not. That's why I came here. I want to be...a hero of justice." Ashe said.

"Oh? You really do?" Cedric asked.

"That book I stole...it was Loog and the Maiden of the Wind. A book detailing heroic legends of Loog, the founder of the Kingdom. I want to be a hero like him, one that will have tales told about me long after I'm gone." Ashe said.

"That sounds like a very noble goal, Ashe." Cedric said. "However, part of being such means making tough decisions. Are you going to be okay, fighting your father?"

"It may sting but...I won't run away." Ashe said. "I will fight."

"Thank you, Ashe. Hopefully, even after this, we will both find our justice...together." Cedric said. "And I'll be there to help if you need me out there."

"Same here." Ashe said.

It was days later that the day of the mission came.

"Maybe there won't be that much bloodshed." Edward said.

"Wouldn't bet on it. The church has sent soldiers to aid us...including Catherine." Glitz said.

"Catherine? They've sent the one who wields Thunderbrand here?!" Dimitri said.

"Uh...I take it that's a bad thing?" Edward asked nervously.

"Catherine is the strongest member of the Knights of Seiros. She wields Thunderbrand, a Hero's Relic." Voltic said. "She could decimate an entire army just by her swordsmanship alone."

"Well you aren't too far off." a voice said as they saw a woman in white with long blond hair in a ponytail standing there.

"You must be Lady Catherine, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Mikasa said.

"Save the pleasantries for when we quell this rebellion. I'm not going to forgive anyone who threatens Lady Rhea." Catherine said.

"Of course." Alex said.

Cedric looks off to the side.

"C-Cedric, are you worried about Ashe?" Maria asked.

"Yes. I am. I'm hoping we can resolve this without any unnecessary bloodshed...for his sake." Cedric said.

"I hope so too." Maria said as she stood next to him.

"Hmm...this fog is pretty thick." Catherine said as they entered it.

"Hmm…" Oliver pondered before equipping a cat paw shaped gauntlet before firing an arrow from it as it hit an enemy soldier. "Not good. Looks like they're using the fog as cover."

Cheetah II was focusing intently past the fog.

"What is it, Valeria? Do you see something?" Tulin asked.

"There's someone inside controlling the fog. Likely a mage." Cheetah II said.

"It'll be difficult to pinpoint his location." Atlas said.

"Not unless you have senses like me and Tulin." Cheetah II said.

"She's not wrong. Animals have better senses than what we humans have. It's better to leave handling the caster to them." Glitz said.

"We'll be counting on the both of you." Cedric said.

"Cheetah, you use your sense of smell to locate the rebels. Tulin, can you try and spot them from the air?" Dimitri asked.

"Leave it to me." Tulin said as he took to the air.

Cheetah II got a whiff of the air. "They're going to try a pincer attack."

"Stand ready." Dimitri said readying his lance.

"Zaav." Alex said as a yellow light appeared behind him as it took the form of a man in knight armor with his face concealed under a knight helm, holding a large spear with a circle guard as Alex summoned one of the same design.

"What do you need, master?" Zaav asked.

"Lend us your strength, please." Alex said.

"(Where does he keep getting these spirits?)" Edward wondered as he readied himself. "(Wait, not important right now. Just get through this and try to prevent anyone walking away feeling empty inside.) Alright, let's get this done, boys and girls." he said.

"Understood." Aiden said as he summoned Rakshasa and Kanshou.

"I've spotted the mage and have taken him out." Tulin shouted as the fog started to clear as the soldiers charged at them only for Catherine to cut them down with ease.

"So...it is you." the old man known as Lonato said. "Thunderstrike Cassandra!"

"I go by Catherine and I serve Lady Rhea." Catherine said.

"Lonato, please. I really hope to avoid this for Ashe's sake." Cedric said. "Please stand down. This conflict is not what Ashe would want!"

"I am sorry but this is something that must be done. I'm surprised you would stand arm to arm with the woman that killed my son!" Lonato said.

"This isn't by my choice. I'm only doing this because Ashe was horrified that you would plan this rebellion. In fact, I was hoping that I wouldn't have to kill you." Cedric said.

"Then you have no place on the battlefield." he said as he charged right for Cedric with spear in hand.

Cedric merely took a deep breath as he took a defensive stance. "(Ashe… I hope you forgive me for this…)"

"Die!" Lonato said going for a decisive blow.

The spear strike grazed Cedric as he struck Lonato in the chest.

"Ugh...bah!" Lonato said coughing up blood. "So this is...the end. Christophe...I'll see you soon. And Ashe...I'm sorry for all of this but...I always loved you." he said before falling to the ground.

"Lonato… I'm sorry. I was really hoping to avoid this…" Cedric said.

"Cedric…? Brother?" Athena asked.

"Isn't that… Lord Lonatonato?" Ashe asked.

"A-Ashe, w-we're so sorry." Maria said.

"We...I...I'm sorry, Ashe." Edward said solemnly. "I wish this could've ended differently."

"This militia… They were just...normal people." Cedric said.

"Why would the Church order this?" Alex muttered before spotting something in Lonato's hand as he picked it up.

"What's this?" Catherine said taking it. "Assassination plans. This is a plan to kill the archbishop. You did well to find this. I'll have to bring this up with her."

"Thank you, Lady Catherine." Alex said.

"You can cut out the lady stuff. It's just Catherine." she said.

Cedric looked down at Lonato's corpse, a saddened expression on his face.

"Cedric, don't be upset. I'm sure he...would have wanted this in the end." Ashe said.

"I know. It just… It just infuriates and saddens me that we couldn't do anything about it." Cedric said.

"I know, but in the end, he was a man who stuck with his ideals. I don't know why he would go against the church but...I'm glad he won't suffer anymore." Ashe said.

"Ashe… Thank you. If not for you, I don't know how I would have handled this." Cedric said. "I know my father is used to having his hands drenched in blood, but… I know he wouldn't have agreed that this is the justice he would've sought."

"We...we should be heading back. There may still be enemies around." Ashe said.

"Right. Let's go. And once again...thank you." Cedric said.

"No problem." Ashe smiled as they headed back.


	5. Goddess's Rite of Rebirth

As classes continued on, it seemed that the year kept going on longer and longer. Then came a private meeting of the five.

"Okay...so far we have zero leads. But we can confirm Ashe is not someone who would betray the church." Glitz said.

"Same for Catherine so far." Alex added.

"Uh...we were talking students, Alex. But right now what we should focus on is this Rite of Rebirth and the assassination plan." Glitz said.

"Quick question!" Edward said. "What is this Rite of Rebirth?"

"It's an event here at the church that involves a ritual and the archbishop. However...I don't think anyone is coming to kill her right now. There's no way they'd just leave a plan like this in the open for someone important like her. It's more than likely a cover for another operation." Glitz said.

"At least, that's what was able to be deciphered from the note we got from Lonato's corpse." Cedric said. "Of course, even though the plan seems unrealistic, the Church won't ignore it."

"Without a doubt they'll increase security around the church while leaving other areas lacking, a perfect diversion. Problem is we have absolutely no idea if they know of anything of value here or if there even is anything valuable." Glitz said.

"Hmm… I wonder…" Cedric muttered.

"Something up, Cedric?" Jason asked.

"I've been hearing rumors about an ancient blade being sealed down in the Holy Mausoleum." Cedric said.

"Ancient blade...you're talking about the Sword of the Creator right?" Glitz asked.

"That's right. Supposedly, it was one of the Hero's Relics used in a war centuries ago, used by the Liberation King Nemesis." Cedric said.

"Yeah and then after the war and many years, it was buried with Seiros, the goddess who killed him. However, there is no crest stone since it was supposedly removed years ago. It wouldn't function for any theft...however we can't exactly rule it out." Glitz said.

"Now that you mention it, a few weeks ago during our first meeting, I saw Byleth following a mysterious figure, who might've been trying to steal the sword." Alex said.

"Alex...what are you talking about?" Edward asked. "There was no one with him. It was just him alone."

"But...I know I saw someone else there." Alex said.

"Is this about the aura we saw? We both know we saw some aura following him." Jason said.

"Hmm...it's possible the only reason you three saw anything was because you three can see aura." Glitz said.

"So what you're saying is that the Prof has two auras? Which means there might be somebody living inside his body or soul? Something like that?" Edward asked.

"Could that be who I saw Byleth following?" Alex asked.

"Given how Edward didn't see it while you did...it's very likely that's what you saw. Interesting." Glitz said. "That now puts Byleth on the suspect list."

"Professor Byleth? No way, that's impossible. He's got nothing against the Church." Cedric said.

"True but his history is spotty." Glitz said. "He hardly shows any emotion or have any knowledge of the church. Even you have to think that's a bit strange."

"Well… I guess when you put it that way…" Cedric said.

"Then we're gonna have to keep an eye on him." Edward said. "Except I can't see that weird aura, so does that rule me out to be a spy?"

"You were never a suspect to begin with. Oh wait, you mean...right. Look, he teaches all our classes, we can just watch him there." Glitz said.

"Good idea." Cedric said.

"Now as for normal business...we should continue keeping a watch out, getting closer to our classmates and be prepared for the Rite of Rebirth." Glitz said.

"But what about you two?" Cedric asked Glitz and Edward. "Is there anyone in your class that can sense aura?"

"The only one who can sense any aura at all in our class is Jin and Voltic." Glitz said.

"I said we should bring Jin in on this, but Glitz pulled a 'hell no' card on that." Edward added.

"Jin is a lot of things but a good accomplice isn't one of them." Glitz said.

"He's right, Edward. Jin is...kind of bad at keeping secrets." Cedric said.

"That's true, but he's still a good person at heart. Anyway, they're right." Alex said.

"Though that's not to say I have him doing nothing. He'll be doing my part in bonding. Right now, he's bonding with Caspar in the training hall. As for me...I've made my bonding targets well known." he said pointing to pictures of Edelgard and Hubert.

"Edelgard and Hubert? I-I can understand Edelgard, but Hubert…" Cedric started.

"I know, I know. But unless I can get him to lower his guard around me, I can't get closer to Edelgard." Glitz said.

"And while he goes about on that potentially dangerous field, I've decided to try and befriend Bernadetta. That girl seems like she could use a friend." Edward said.

"Anyway, I've got a sword fighting tournament coming up in a few days. Felix is going to help me train." Cedric said.

"For me...I'll see about getting close to the rest of the Golden Deer. Though I doubt any of them have any ulterior motives." Jason said.

"That just leaves Alex. I do have a job for you. Since you aren't restricted to classes, you can act as our inside man in the Knights of Seiros. Try and befriend the members." Glitz said.

"Alright." Alex said.

"Okay...let's break for the day. And good luck guys." Glitz said.

As the days flew by, Tulin felt himself being stalked by a presence. He then got his bow ready. He let the arrow fly, revealing the assailant to be Valeria.

"Your instincts are quite sharp. I'm surprised you were able to detect my presence." Cheetah II said.

"They have to be if I want to be anywhere near my father's level." Tulin said.

"Your father was a great Rito in his day. I hear he risked his life to fulfill his part in defeating Calamity Ganon." Cheetah II said.

"Yes, he did. That was when he started travelling with David. He even took in Vera as an apprentice." Tulin said. "I know all of this because I was merely a hatchling when it all happened."

"What?" Cheetah II asked.

"It's true. I really have met them during this time. Though, not his whole group. There were only a few because he was just starting out at that point." Tulin said. "It was probably some time before they met your mother."

"I believe so." Cheetah II said. "Er… Speaking of which… You're not all that unnerved around me, are you?"

"A little… Concerning our species, and all." Tulin said.

"I figured as much. I've been told that I look exactly like my mother, so I tend to give off that kind of impression." Cheetah II said. "Especially since she was enemies with the Hero Alliance. Or particularly, David Ishihara. At least, at first."

"Now they're eternal rivals. Which, I think is better, at least." Tulin said.

"Yes, I think so too. Especially since her indirect helpings led to some of their achievements." Cheetah II said. "She was kind of like the hero of her own story, in a way. It's too bad very few people saw it that way."

"Yes. Perhaps that story could change?" Tulin asked.

"Change? I'm not sure how." Cheetah II said.

"Make the story your way. Don't be like Cheetah, be you." Tulin said.

"It's going to be tough, since I'm carrying my mother's mantle, but… Alright. I'll do my best." Cheetah II said.

The two continued to spar as they were unknowingly being watched by Ignatz.

"Yes, that is definitely something." he said painting the scene between the two.

"Hey, what ya got there?" Cross asked.

"What? Oh, it's nothing." Ignatz said.

"Oh, I get it. You wanna be an artist, dontcha?" Cross asked. "Why sign up for the Officers Academy if you like Paintin?"

"Oh… well, it was mostly more of a hobby, my painting. My father would never approve. He wants me to carry on with the family business as a merchant." Ignatz said.

"Merchant work and paintin' got nothin' to do with being a mercenary." Cross reminded. "But, I don't think it's your dad whos holdin ya down. Its you. You choose to be who you are. Merchant, Painter, Soldier. Heck, ya can be all those things."

"I...I see. Thank you, Cross." Ignatz said. "I'll...I'll keep painting."

"That's the spirit. Can't wait to see that painting when it's finished." Cross said as he walked away with a salute.

"Very interesting… we don't know a lot about him, however…" Ignatz said. "He does seem like someone interesting. Though...if only I could get over this other guilt." he said looking as Raphael passed by.

"Ha! Ha!" A voice said as Amelia was seen practicing sword strikes with the Sword of Mars as it extended into a whip from time to time as it left behind a streak of rainbow light. "Oh! Hello Raphael."

"Yo. Hey, you about done? I wanted to get some training in." Raphael said.

"O-Oh, yes. Though you look plenty strong already at first glance." Amelia said.

"Thanks. But there's a secret to this strength...eating." Raphael said.

"Eating?" Amelia asked.

"Yep. Before training, after, whenever you can." Raphael said.

"Uh...huh." she said sweatdropping. "I don't think I'd handle that. But still...why become a knight?"

"Well...my parents were merchants but they got killed during a monster attack. So it's just me and my little sis. My grandfather suggested I become a knight since I'm not that great with numbers and thinking." Raphael said.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Amelia said. "Also, I guess that's why don't you read or listen to the lectures Professor Byleth does."

"Eh...not really into that studying." Raphael said.

"But knowledge is important to help become a better Knight." Amelia said. "It also helps you learn new skills in the heat of battle as well."

"Oh… well, I guess you gotta be smart and strong. Y'know, since your mom is Altera." Raphael said.

"Y-Yes. My mom is Altera. It was the first time a member of Spirit Force ever got engaged to a member of the Doomsday Legion, and it was their leader too."

"AJ Drake, the infamous con-artist, right?" Raphael asked.

"My father is no longer a con-artist, after the Titans were stopped, Kokonoe managed to have the Universal Police drop the charges on him and his group, and they became heroes in a way alongside another group." Amelia said.

"Wow...sounds cool." Raphael said. "Then I guess I'll study until my brain is sore!"

Amelia giggles at Raphael's upbeat personality. "You're something else, Raphael." she said.

A loud scream was heard across campus as Edward ran across it with Bernadetta over his shoulders.

"Oh this is it. I knew you'd show your colors and take me somewhere to finish me!" Bernadetta said.

"Hey, easy! I ain't like that! I just wanted to talk, then you started speaking crazy, I panicked and-" Edward started.

"Not another word. This is it. This is how I'm going to die." Bernadetta said.

"You don't seem to be too surprised…" Edward said, sweatdropping. "It's almost like you think everyone is out to get you."

"Well I have a reason to think like that. See...I'm not much for socializing. My father, he spent most of my childhood drilling lessons into me on how to be a proper wife for a political marriage. That's why I can only find solace in solitude." Bernadetta said.

"He did that…?" Edward said in shock. "...Bernadetta, I'm gonna be blunt: your dad, to me, sounds like a total jerk, and you shouldn't have to feel like you're alone just because of what he did. You aren't just his kid; you're your own person. That means the only person who can decide what path is best for you is you. And if you need some help finding that path…the other students and I will be there to lend a hand. You got all that?" he asked gently.

"I...Uh...okay." Bernadetta said a little confused.

"Good. So, uh...I don't suppose you want to, say, head back to the library? I did kinda interrupt your reading...sorry…" he said, chuckling nervously.

"You pulled me out of my room." Bernadetta said.

"What? But I….Oh right. It's the other way." Edward said. "Man, I suck at directions. *Sigh* Kay, guess I'm following you now. Which way did I run again?"

"(She's been hurt, alright. That settles it... there's no way I'm gonna let you miss out on some happy days, Bernadetta!)" Edward thought to himself. "(From this moment on, you are my friend...and I'm gonna see you smile if it's the last thing I do!)"

A few more days passed as the night of the Rebirth came.

"Okay...so how went your assignments. Any new leads?" Glitz asked.

"I talked with my house. Ignatz and Raphael are definitely not suspects for traitors." Jason said.

"Neither is Bernadetta." Edward said.

"Felix is a little rough but he's no traitor." Cedric said. "How about you?"

"Well I'm getting closer but Hubert is still holding up a strong guard." Glitz said.

"It is to be expected from someone very loyal to Edelgard." Alex said.

"Yeah. I've looked into Hubert during my research. He's been by her side since she was six. He'll do anything for her. He's even gone against his own father just to stay close." Glitz said. "Not someone we need as an enemy."

"Indeed. Also I have not seen any of the knights other than Cassandra lately." Alex said.

"They're busy guarding the place where the ritual is being held so security is lacking right now." Glitz said.

"Hmm. Why don't you all assist us in the areas that lack security? That way we could keep an eye out for any enemies that may try to sneak through." Alex said.

"Fraid I've beaten you to it." Glitz said holding a speaker. "I've planted ear buds around the monastery. Nothing goes on without me knowing."

"You've really thought this through, have you?" Cedric asked.

"Yeah. It's just not hard to create them with the materials found outside. Huh?" Glitz said hearing activity.

"What's up?" Edward asked.

"There's some activity going on near the entrance to the Mausoleum." Glitz said.

"Let's gather our classmates. We should head out immediately." Cedric said.

"My group shall meet you there." Alex said as he headed out.

"He does realize we're all in this together right?" Jason asked.

"Long as we get the job done, let him think what he wants." Glitz said as they dispersed.

It didn't take long before they gathered in the mausoleum where people in dark cloaks started looking the graves.

"The hell?" Ryuuko said.

"Grave robbers huh? No worries. We'll kick their butts!" Jin said.

"Jin, wait. I sense...something very dark in here." Athena said.

"It might be coming from him." Cheetah II said motioning to a man in dark armor with a skull helmet.

"Whoa...who is that?" Jason asked.

"I've heard rumors of a man in armor roaming the streets at night. They call him...the Death Knight." Voltic said.

"That's the Death Knight? He looks just like Craniamon. Well… A darker version of him, anyway." Cedric said.

"He's definitely going to be a problem. Avoid all conflict with him and go for the leader in back." Glitz said.

"Go around him while wiping out any other enemies in our way. Got it." Cheetah II said.

They started working their way towards the front while taking down the enemies at the side while making way to the front.

"Ha! You're too late!" the leader said opening the coffin. "Now the body of the...what?" they said taking out an old sword. "A sword?"

"That's…" Aiden trailed off in surprise.

"There's no doubt about it. That is indeed the Sword of the Creator." Cedric said. "That sword would do no good in your hands. Surrender now."

"Begone!" they said swinging it only for Byleth to catch it in his hands. The mage let go as he attacked him with fire only for Byleth to easily deflect with ease as the sword glowed as he cut the mage down.

"That's...that can't be possible." Glitz said.

"Professor… That was incredible. How did you do that?" Tulin asked.

"I'm not sure." Byleth said.

"So there is someone who can wield it." a voice said as a figure in a white and red mask stood behind them.

"Who are you?" Thetis asked.

"You can address me as the Flame Emperor. The one who will expose the evils of the Church of Seiros." they said.

"Expose the evils? What do you mean?" Cedric asked.

"All in due time. And when the time comes, you all will know the truth." they said leaving with the Death Knight.

"He's gone. Just...what is going on here?" Cheetah II asked.

"..." Alex stayed silent as he was lost in thought from the current events that transpired.

It wasn't until later the five met up back in Glitz's lab.

"So...now we know our enemies now. The Flame Emperor and the Western Church." Glitz said. "Though what happened now raises more questions than answers."

"Western Church? This was never mentioned." Edward said.

"Apparently those guys who roused Lonato and attacked the graves were from the Western Church of Seiros, possibly planning to cause an uprising." Glitz said.

"They are opposed with each other, yet they're part of the same church. Why are they enemies in the first place?" Alex asked.

"No clue but they don't concern us right now. The bigger questions arose when this popped up. The Sword of the Creator. The Hero's Relic we saw the professor brandishing." Glitz said.

"Yes. There was no crest stone on it and yet, Professor Byleth was able to wield it so effortlessly." Cedric said.

"Ah...you caught that too. You get an A. The Hero's Relics have two conditions to be able to be held. One is a crest stone and the other is a crest relating to the house they come from." Glitz said. "But that's not the only thing. Don't you guys find it strange that in a coffin supposed to be Seiros's final resting place...there was no body? Not even bones?"

"That does actually bring up what the Flame Emperor said. It seems that we're not the only ones that think the Church is hiding something big." Cedric said.

"Yes, and it might be possible that Seiros could be alive if the grave is empty." Alex said.

"There is one person who could possibly be Seiros if that's the case." Cedric said.

"My thoughts exactly. Seiros and the leader of the church are the same person. Our lovely archbishop herself." Glitz said.

"Rhea. I thought there was something suspicious about her given the air of divine energy surrounding her." Alex said.

"Normally this would be an impossibility but since Seiros is a goddess, the realm of logic just flew right out the window." Glitz said.

"So...what do we do? Go against her?" Jason asked.

"Not an option. If she learns that we know who she really is, she'll definitely declare war on us...possibly even go against our parents and their old friends." Glitz said.

"So for now, we should keep this info to ourselves and the students not from this world, just to not induce any panic." Cedric said.

"Just the five of us. We don't need them doing something reckless if they learn about what Rhea really is. Still...one thing makes no sense. She could do anything with her immortality. So why start the church? What could she gain from doing this? It makes no sense." Glitz said.

"I may have a few ideas, but… They're a little far-fetched and probably wouldn't serve any purpose." Cedric said.

"Hmm. In that case, Alex...you wanted a chance to shine earlier...so to make up...you'll be doing the duty of keeping close to Rhea." Glitz said.

"Very well." Alex said. "Also, this has been a team effort since we've arrived, we're doing this for everyone else's sake."

"Good, now you'll need this in case things get dicey." Glitz said tossing him a small pouch.

"What is this? Black sand?" Alex asked.

"It's gunpowder." Glitz said smirking.

"I see, I get it now. You're starting to remind me of Bakugou Katsuki a bit." Alex smirked back.

"It's just a safety measure. If she discovers you know and goes for you...set it off and fake your death." Glitz said.

"Right." Alex said as he walked out. "(That presence in Byleth, and the one around Rhea seem to be the same, could there be a connection?)"


	6. Tower of Black Winds

"Okay. I've gotten the next mission. We've been asked to handle a gang of bandits lead by someone named Miklan." Maya said.

"Miklan? Somehow I'm not surprised." Sylvain said.

"Sylvain? Oh! He's your brother." Athena said.

"Yeah, my older brother. He was originally going to become the head of House Gautier but after I got born with a crest, he got booted and I got the house title." Sylvain said.

"Well he's also taken a relic from the house. The Lance of Ruin." Maya said.

"The Lance of Ruin? Sylvain, that's your family's Hero Relic, isn't it?" Athena asked.

"Yeah. It is." Sylvain said.

"Are you going to be okay fighting your brother?" Athena asked.

"It'll be fine." Sylvain said.

"Such resolve… I don't know if I would've if it was my brother." Athena said.

"After hearing your story, I kind of feel bad about pushing you away from Athena. Sorry, Sylvain." Cedric said.

"Don't worry about it. I mean, that's why people like nobles right? For our crests?" Sylvain said as he walked off.

"Sylvain…" Athena said.

"He reminds me of how my father once was." Nicole said.

"You mean Zelos?" Jason asked.

"Exactly. Girls always flock over him because of his status as a Chosen. Those girls didn't love him for...well, him." Nicole said. "That is...until he met my mother."

"Still...the same is for Sylvain. He believes the only reason girls and nobles go to him is cause of his crest. Sad to say that's sort of true. This is a class system built on the dependency of crests to secure noble bloodlines." Glitz said.

"But there is more to a person than just status and titles, it's their hearts and personality as well." Mikasa said.

"I wish I could agree with you on that, Mikasa. But… Normal people just don't see it that way." Cheetah II said.

"**Geez, talk about discrimination on this world.**" Griffon said flying over them.

"It's envy, Griffon. Commoners are jealous of the prestige that nobles get." Cedric said.

"Things like that could cause conflict if it goes over the line." Atlas said. "I guess it's not easy to maintain peace, is it?"

"No, it is not, unfortunately." Tulin said.

"W-Why do people always have to fight? It's so sad." Maria said.

"War is caused by different things, Maria." Ben said. "A need for power, desperation for change, a response to some tragedy...it doesn't matter what starts it, it's the nature of people all over existence to jump to conflict. If you want to prevent war, you need to change the way people view the world...which is close to impossible to do on a large scale."

"So sad, yet so true…" Cheetah II said.

"Indeed." Aiden said.

"We can complain all we want but it won't change a thing. Fodlan is divided so it's not like one voice can matter in a land like this." Glitz said.

"He's not wrong. Things have been like this for a long time. You can't just change things with words. Only actions matter." Edelgard said.

"Actions speak louder than words, as they always say." Thetis said with his arms behind his head.

"Speaking of which… Glitz, can I talk to you for a moment?" Cedric asked.

"Sure." Glitz said following Cedric. "So...what's up?"

"It's...about Dedue." Cedric said. "Thetis told my class that there have been several reports of an uprising taking place in Duscar."

"Well...he's not wrong. People from Duscar have been on the chopping block ever since the king was assassinated." Glitz said.

"Right… The Tragedy of Duscar that occurred four years ago." Cedric said. "A squadron soldiers from the Kingdom has already been dispatched, but… Dedue has been thinking about quelling the uprising himself and saving as much of his own kin as possible."

"And since you drew me away from the group, that means you want me to help you, is that about right?" Glitz asked.

"Not really, I'm telling you this because it relates to one of the objectives you've given me." Cedric said.

"Ah. I get it. You're gaining Dedue's trust so you can get in better with him and Dimitri." Glitz said.

"Exactly. With Dedue being so devoted to Dimitri, gaining his trust is the best way that I can get closer to them." Cedric said.

"Hmm ...well let me give you some advice. You definitely won't kill them but that won't be the same for the Kingdom Soldiers. So...let me give you something." he said holding out a strange straight object. "This is a little something I've been experimenting with. Homemade dynamite. Set it off on their path and you'll have enough time to save them all."

"Understood. Thanks for the advice." Cedric said.

"We are partners in crime in all of this after all." Glitz said.

Cedric nods at this. "My class is getting ready for the operation. We'll be leaving in a few days."

"Best of luck to you. Just don't end up in a body bag." Glitz said.

"I don't think you need to worry about that." Cedric said.

"Yeah...guess I don't." Glitz said heading off.

"Alright. Now to go and get ready." Cedric said as he headed off as well to make preparations.

As the days passed on, Cedric and his class had soon arrived to the place where the people of Duscar were rebelling against the Kingdom Soldiers.

"They're all camped out down there." Tulin said. "However, the soldiers will be along any moment to slaughter them."

"What should we do then?" Mikasa asked.

"We cut off the kingdom's path." Cedric said taking out the dynamite.

"Where did you get that?" Tyrell asked.

"A gift from Glitz. I'll explain later." Cedric said.

"Alright, we'll follow your lead." Nicole said.

"Okay… Here goes nothing!" Cedric said as he lit the dynamite before tossing it at the northwestern cliff.

"Fire in the hole!" Mikasa said.

"What in the-?" a kingdom soldier said as it went off and caused a rockslide covering the path.

"Great. It'll take hours to get around this." the commander said as they stopped.

"Alright, that should buy us some time. Split into two and disarm the rebels. Quickly, before the soldiers get past the rubble!" Cedric said.

"Understood." Mikasa said activating Sealed Armament: Izayoi as Yukianesa floated by her side. "Frostbite!" she called launching ice wolf heads that froze some of the rebels up to their necks.

"Uh...dial it back a little." Athena said. "We still need them to be able to get away."

"Just freeze their weapons. That should give them reason to surrender." Cheetah II said.

"Right." Mikasa said snapping her fingers as they were freed from the ice before their weapons were frozen.

"I will take it from here." a voice said as they saw Dedue behind them.

"You're…" one of the rebels said.

"Leave now before the kingdom gets here." Dedue said.

"What? But you're a…" one of them said.

"I am a man of Duscar...that is all I am." Dedue said.

The rebels looked at one another before they started to retreat.

"I don't know how we would've handled that if things went any further. Thanks, Dedue." Cedric said.

"It's no problem. I thank you for coming to protect my people." Dedue said.

"That's what friends are for, right? We help each other out in times of dire need." Athena said.

"Agreed. I shall make you all a quality meal, as thanks for your hard work today." Dedue said.

"That would be very nice. Thanks." Cheetah II said.

After a meal together, the Blue Lion House soon returned home to the academy.

"Nice work. Now we know Dedue is no traitor and we're further in to the Kingdom students." Glitz said.

"Further in?" a voice said as the five looked out to see Athena standing there.

"A-Athena? I-I can explain." Cedric said.

"Jason, the heck? I told you to lock the door." Glitz said.

"Hey, don't look at me, Edward was the last in the room, he should've done it." Jason said.

"What? That's not an excuse." Glitz said.

"Guys, there's no need to explain. I can pretty much already tell what's going on. You're all looking into Fodlan's mysteries, the Church of Seiros, Rhea, everything." Athena said.

"How long have you been listening in on us?" Cedric asked.

"I've known for awhile now. You can't hide anything from me." Athena said.

"Of course we can't. We're talking to the next generation of the goddess of wisdom." Glitz said. "So...now that you know...care to join our descent into hell?"

"Our class has pretty much been onto my brother lately, considering his behavior as of late. But… With more people, you'll be able to cover more ground. In a way...we're all in." Athena said.

"Sweet! Now we got more members in on this!" Edward said. "Which reminds me, if we're gonna do this right, I think it would be a good idea to bring El and Claude in on this. Then we'd pretty much have all three of the houses beside us."

"Not an option. Sure they seem nice but I've gotten good at judging someone's true colors. I've seen Edelgard's and she will not go peacefully. Claude is too unpredictable. Besides I'm pretty sure Athena meant herself and not Dimitri and the kingdom students." Glitz said.

"Also, Glitz, you are right about Edelgard, but that's not the only thing. I think she and the Flame Emperor are connected in someway." Alex said.

"I already tested her on that. They aren't unfortunately." Glitz said.

"But… You can't deny that Edelgard has been acting a bit weird lately." Athena said.

"Sorry but they are unconnected." Glitz said.

"Right. I hear ya. We trust ya." Jason said.

"Alright. Back on topic. The next mission is in a few weeks. The battle against Sylvain's brother Miklan." Cedric said. "Sylvain has no qualms about fighting him from how he reacted, but… I've been wondering what happens when someone without a Crest tries to wield a Hero's Relic."

"You are right to worry. Depending on how they are deep down...they could end up becoming a monster." Glitz said. "A demonic beast."

"They turn into monsters? How unsettling." Athena said.

"However, there are some cases where some weapons can be wielded by those without crests. Like the weapons of the four saints." Glitz said. "But the Lance of Ruin is a ten heroes weapon so that won't count."

"Is there anyway to revert them to normal if that happens?" Alex said.

"I don't think there is. Once someone turns into a monster...there's no turning them back." Athena said.

"So the only way is to put them to rest then if that ever happened." Alex said.

"Poor Sylvain. He's not going to like the sight if that happens during the mission." Cedric said.

"Then...maybe if we beat Miklan before that happens...maybe we could save him?" Edward asked. "I don't want this to be like what happened with Lonato."

"Edward, Lonato didn't turn into a monster. He died as a human." Cedric said.

"No, what I mean is that I don't want another one of our classmates watch a family member die." Edward replied. "Call me naïve, but I would like to think we can save this guy."

"Edward, enough!" Cedric said. "I understand how you feel, but it's pretty obvious that Miklan is very determined in carrying this out."

"Besides, guys who act like they got something to prove...a lot of the time it leads to their downfall. He's already signed his death papers the moment he took that lance." Glitz said.

"So all we can do is make preparations on our end and hope Sylvain doesn't take whatever happens too harshly." Cedric said.

"Okay...dismissed." Glitz said as they left.

"So what was with the agreeing?" Alex asked Jason.

"Glitz...he was definitely lying about Edelgard and the Flame Emperor being connected." Jason said.

"I see. He didn't want to raise any panic, correct?" Alex said.

"No...he did it for another reason. He specifically doesn't want us knowing anything about that." Jason said.

"Still, Edelgard has been acting a bit weird lately." Athena said.

"I think he can already pick up that we're suspecting Edelgard." Cedric said.

"Indeed. He is trying to get close to Edelgard and Hubert, so it may be best to leave it to Glitz for now." Alex said.

"Speaking of which… Athena, you said that our class has been onto me for the last few months, right?" Cedric asked.

"Just us from off world. We've been taking turns listening in on your conversations." Athena said.

"Figured as much. I feel bad about keeping it a secret from you all, but we couldn't afford to spread any rumors ourselves." Cedric said.

"Apologies for that." Alex said. "We thought it might've raised confusion and panic among the students." he said.

"No, no. I should apologize. I shouldn't have had them eavesdrop if it was really that much of a secret." Athena said.

"Well, to be fair, that's how I joined the group." Edward said. "See, I was trying to work on flying, so I jumped off the monastery roof, but I had to grab a window ledge because I couldn't get it to work. Then I overheard everything Glitz said and...well, here I am."

"Well, now that you and the other off worlders in the Blue Lions have caught on, I guess it wouldn't be fair to not let them in on it. But no matter what, Dimitri and the students from the Kingdom cannot know about any of this." Cedric said.

"My lips are sealed." Athena said.

"That's my sister. Now, we should get ready. The mission is in a few weeks, so it's best we get prepared." Cedric said.

"~Make my wish come true, let darkness slip aside. Hiding all our hope, mocking what we treasure. Battles we can win, if we believe our souls. Hang in for the light, till dawn~." Maria sang as it was heard all over campus. "~Fate will not leave you, hate will not heal you. Pray and one day, peace shall flow everywhere~." she continued before stopping as she heard clapping and turned to see Cedric and Oliver.

"You've been practicing, Maria. That was some soothing vocals." Cedric said.

"T-Thank you, I'm hoping someday that I can become a great singer while travelling across the Multiverse as a hero like my dad." Maria said as her cheeks blushed a deep red.

"That was not bad. Not bad at all. Best voice here." Oliver said.

"T-Thanks, Oliver, but I'm sure your voice is good too." Maria said. "You see, my song magic comes from my mother's side, she was part of a race known as the Reyvateil, a special race of people who have the power of transforming sounds into energy. I am a Halfblood since my father was part human and demon. The Reyvateil were a race once thought lost in Devaloka until they resurfaced many years after Devaloka was completely restored. And my father married the princess not out of duty, but of love." she smiled as she turned back to them.

"Quite a passion. I can respect that." Oliver said. "As a musician I think me, my mom and my sister and dad would be proud to hear that."

"R-Really? Thank you." Maria said blushing a bit as she blushed deeper when turning to Cedric.

"I agree. I admit, it's not my father's preferred style, but I'm sure my family would love to hear it too." Cedric said.

"Hehehe." Maria giggled as she turned a brighter red before fainting.

"Maria!" Cedric said as he caught her.

"Geez. She fainted after one compliment? Wow." Oliver said.

"She's just shy, that's all." Cedric said. "I'll bring her to Professor Manuela in the infirmary just so she can cool off." he said carrying her in his arms.

The time of the mission soon came by as they approached the tower.

"Okay. The knights have the thieves trapped inside. We just need to march in and take them out." Voltic said.

"Roger. Are you ready for this, Sylvain?" Cheetah II asked.

"Of course I am." Sylvain said.

"Time to begin the mission. Wil." Alex said as a young man with light blue hair in a white tunic and a cloak with a chained wing ornament floating behind his back as he held a large axe.

"That won't be necessary. One of the Knights of Seiros are accompanying us this time." Glitz said.

"That's right." a voice said as a man with short orange hair and armor approached. "I am Gilbert."

"It really is…" Annette muttered seeing the man.

"Now...we should move in immediately." Gilbert said.

"What's wrong, Annette? You don't really sound too pleased to see him." Cheetah II said.

"Well, uh…" Annette said.

"She's trying to hide the fact that Gilbert is her father." Felix said shocking her.

"Felix! No one was supposed to know that!" Annette said.

"Seriously?" Athena whispered.

"Yeah...I thought he looked familiar. According to the books, he used to serve the king of Faerghus but fled the kingdom after failing to protect the king." Glitz said.

"The Tragedy of Duscar, right? A lot of the students from the Kingdom of Faerghus are tied to it in one way or another." Cedric said.

"Hmm, I don't believe that Gilbert is his real name." Alex said.

"You're right. His real name is Gustave Dominic but he changed it when he made it to the church." Glitz said.

"Annette, has he talked to you at all since we've been at the academy?" Mikasa asked.

"Not once." Annette said.

"Maybe he doesn't recognize you after…" Alex started.

"No...he recognized me. He's purposely avoiding me." Annette said.

"I can understand the disdain. The less we talk about this, the better." Nicole said.

"Very well. I apologize." Alex said as Wil floated around them before looking at Annette with a sad smile.

They marched right inside where the bandits marched out in droves with a man with red hair holding a strange lance watching from the back.

"So the knIights finally come to….you!" Miklan said seeing Sylvain.

"Hey. It's been awhile." Sylvain said. "Look I'll be honest. Stop this now and maybe we'll go easy."

"No way. It's your fault I've turned to this life in the first place. You took what should have been mine!" Miklan said.

"None of this was my fault. It's not my fault I was born nor was it mine when you were disowned." Sylvain said.

"Sylvain is right. He didn't ask to be born with a Crest." Athena said.

"And wielding that lance will change nothing, it will only corrupt you, costing your life in the process. Please, surrender the Lance of Ruin and we don't have to use force." Nicole said.

"You want it? Come and take it!" Miklan shouted as the thieves moved in.

"Stone Blast!" Athena said as rocks started emerging from under the thieves.

"Icicle Edge!" Nicole called as large icicles rained down in front of another group of thieves.

"Element Equip! Wind!" Jin shouted as he floated a bit as his clothes and hair turned green. "Ultimate Color: Dust Tornado!" he shouted sending a number of them flying.

"Blizzard Stream!" Amelia called as the Sword of Mars turned blue as she dealt a few sword strikes before firing three streams of ice and water in different directions.

"Ben!" Edward called out as he rammed his elbow into a thief's face. "Can you pull the lance away from him?"

"I'm too far away, Edward!" Ben called back, cutting another thief down.

"For Heaven's sake…" Cheetah II said pouncing on the thief that Edward was holding down.

"You idiots! Can you not handle some kids?" Miklan shouted. "Fine. Guess I'll have to do it myself!" he said charging in.

"I wouldn't do that." Ryuuko said punching a thief out.

"You don't control me! I control this lance!" Miklan said. "You have no...huh...wha...what?" he said as a black substance slowly began to cover him. "What...what have you done to me?"

"Us? You were the one holding the lance." Cedric said.

"We warned you what would happen to those wielding a Hero's Relic without a crest. You have to let go of the lance!" Mikasa said.

"it's far too late for that." Glitz said as the substance consumed Miklan leaving a large demonic beast in his place.

"Boss?" one of the thieves said before the beast killed him as it roared.

"What the… What is that? He just turned into a monster!" Tyrell said.

"A demonic beast. Creatures that come into existence through some form of mishap or misuse of a Hero's Relic." Glitz said.

"Exactly as Glitz says, this is the fate of those who wield a Hero's Relic without a crest, once you're turned into one, there's no going back." Alex said.

"I'm sorry, Sylvain. In this state, there's only one way to stop him now." Athena said.

"I know… We're going to have to kill him." Sylvain said.

"Are you up for this?" Aiden asked.

"Of course I am. He's my brother, so it's only right I have to end him." Sylvain said.

(Cue- Hunting Betrayal- Digital Devil Saga 2)

The demonic beast roared as it charged them leaving for the students to quickly counter its strikes.

Cedric's blade turns purple. "Voltaic Strike!" he shouted as he struck the beast that was once Miklan, sending electricity around its body.

"Crescent Prisma." Maria said as her dress turned yellow as she started singing. "Go forth!" she said as a crystal in the form of a Crescent moon appeared as a beam of lightning shot through it, reflecting onto the demon, hitting it seven times.

"Miklan...I hope you can forgive me for this." Sylvain said to himself as he charged at the beast as his spear pierced through its heart.

The demonic beast roared in pain before it collapsed as it reverted to Miklan and the lance as both lay motionless on the ground.

"It is done… Sylvain, I…" Athena said.

"Don't apologize. I did this...not you." Sylvain said as he picked up the lance. "I'll see you all back at the academy. I need to return this to my father." he said turning to leave.

"Sylvain…" Cedric said. "You bear such a heavy responsibility. If only I noticed it sooner, I would've been more understanding about your approaches to Athena."

"Heh. Thanks." Sylvain said as he left.

"Sylvain...now there goes a real man. Even if it cost him his family." Jin said.


	7. Rumors of a Reaper

"Cedric." Thetis said.

"Yes, Thetis? Is there something you want to talk about?" Cedric asked.

"I've been hearing rumors around Campus about a Reaper appearing at night and kidnapping students, I think this Reaper might be the Death Knight." Thetis said.

"No doubt about it. He certainly does fit the description, what with that armor of his." Cedric said. "I've been hearing that students have been disappearing lately. I wonder if he has something to do with it."

"There's another thing about that. Flayn was one of those kidnapped." Thetis said.

"You're serious? Flayn's been kidnapped?" Cedric asked as Cheetah II and Tatsuya came running.

"They aren't wrong. Seteth's so beside himself we've been assigned to try and find her." Maya said as the rest of the students arrived.

"Has anyone been able to find anything?" Cedric asked.

"That's why we came running. Tatsuya and I found this lying around." Cheetah II said showing a mask.

"A mask." Thetis said as he picked it up.

"Wait...I've...I've seen that mask. That's the one that Jeritza guy was wearing." Jin said.

"How convenient. He disappears the moment Flayn vanishes and the rumors fluctuate." Glitz said.

"Rumor?" Jason asked.

"Yeah. Rumors about our favorite scythe wielding knight in black." Glitz said.

"Are you guys saying that Professor Jeritza could be the Death Knight?" Cheetah II asked.

"The timing is too damn perfect. There's no doubt. Jeritza's the Death Knight for sure." Glitz said.

"That would explain why he's been acting strange, and not the normal way he usually does." Thetis said.

"Okay, we'll get back to that in a moment. Maybe it was someone else. What about Hanneman. He could have her for Crest Research." Jason said.

"Tried him. Flayn does have the crest of Cethleann but there are others who have it like Linhardt." Ryuuko said.

"Well...what about Shamir? That mercenary. She does…" Jason said.

"Tried her too. She is from Dagda but she isn't the kind to kidnap people." Cross said.

"We've asked a number of people already. But...Jin, tell them what you told me." Glitz said.

"Well...I talked with Jeralt and...he said he saw Professor Manuela with that mask Thetis is holding." Jin said.

"You don't think she went to confront Professor Jeritza herself, do you?" Athena asked.

"She wouldn't have a reason to. But the fact is no one's seen her since she left." Maya said. "Last she was seen was the courtyard."

"Let's check if she's still there." Thetis said.

They headed down to the courtyard and headed past the gates and found a door open.

"Strange...that door's never open." Edward said as they pushed through to find Manuela lying on the ground.

"P-Professor Manuela!" Maria said as she rushed over.

"Hmm. It's okay. She's still breathing. She's just unconscious." Glitz said. "Maya, Maria. Take Manuela back to the infirmary."

"O-Okay." Maria said.

"Still...can't believe that Death Knight went and attacked her and escaped." Jason said.

"Not sure if it was the Death Knight or not but I'm pretty sure they're still here." Glitz said pulling a book on the shelf, revealing a hidden stairway.

"A secret passage." Thetis said.

"Can we even take on the Death Knight?" Athena asked.

"Yeah...if we went at him head on...no doubt he'd kill us all in under a minute. But that's okay. Cause we're just going down there to find Flayn. Not fight him." Glitz said.

"No doubt we'll find other enemies down there." Cedric said.

"But I think we'll manage." Jason said.

"Yeah, the sooner we find Flayn, the better." Thetis said as he pulled out an orange and grey metallic device. "Rock on!" he said as he was encased in an orb of energy and was now seen in armor based on his Father, Fulgore.

"Hey guys! I see her!" Jason said pointing to Flayn lying unconscious alongside a red haired girl.

"Wait, what? I thought Flayn was the only one kidnapped. Who is she?" Cross asked.

"So...you have come to intrude on this place." a voice said as they saw the Death Knight behind them.

"Death Knight!" Thetis said.

"Sorry, tall, dark and creepy but we're taking the girls and getting out of here." Oliver said.

"That is no option." Death Knight said as soldiers surrounded them. "This place will be your graves."

"Guys… I'll hold off the Death Knight. You all take the soldiers." Cedric said.

"Cedric, you can't! That's crazy!" Cheetah II said.

"I know you're strong but he's going to kill you." Jin said.

"It wouldn't have mattered to my father. I know he would've done the same thing." Cedric said. "What kind of king leads his people if he can't fight in the front lines?"

"Alright, fine." Edward said. "But if it looks like you're losing, I'm jumping in to help you!" he said as he got into a fighting stance facing the soldiers.

"I'll handle getting the girls out. You guys need to deal with the soldiers." Glitz said.

"Right. Dia." Alex said as a green light appeared behind him and took the form of a young woman with mid-length light pink hair in adventurer clothing as she held a musket in her left hand, and crossbow in her right as Alex summoned two weapons of the same design.

"Let's do this." Ryuuko said.

"Tyrell, are you with me?" Nicole asked as she drew a blue crystal blade with a blue rose at the guard.

"You got it. Let's go, Nicole!" Tyrell said. "Super Sonic Thrust!"

"Super Sonic Thrust!" Nicole said. "Don't Run!"

"Cross Thrust!" The two called as they dealt a thrust attack in an X pattern through a group of soldiers.

"Blink and you'll miss this!" Edward said as he flash-stepped behind two soldiers before slamming their heads together, knocking them out.

"Element Equip! Metal!" Jin said coating himself in metal. "Iron Cross!" he shouted taking several soldiers out with a cross chop.

"This is all an exercise in futility." The Death Knight said.

"I wouldn't underestimate us if I were you." Cedric said.

"No...you are the one underestimating me." the Death Knight said.

The Death Knight clashed with Cedric at that remark, who surprisingly has some resistance. Cedric's sword then glowed red.

"Burning Twin Dragons!" Cedric shouted as two streams of fire emerged from his sword, taking the form of dragons as they were sent at the Death Knight.

"Is this really your best?" the Death Knight said slicing through the streams with his scythe.

"No. This is." Cedric said as a cold wind blew. "Arctic Style Secret Art: Shivering Wind!" he shouted as he conjured a blizzard.

"Ha!" Death Knight shouted slicing through the blizzard as parts of his armor froze. "I don't care if you send me fire and ice from hell...I will never fall."

"The way he's...it couldn't be…" Mercedes said.

"Mercedes?" Tyrell asked.

"Emile!" Mercedes shouted before the Death Knight could attack Cedric with his scythe. "That...that is you isn't it?" she asked.

"Mercedes…" the knight said before the Flame Emperor appeared.

"Death Knight...we're done here." the Flame Emperor said. "We have enough of what we need."

"You again." Alex said. "What do you mean?"

"You have no idea how special that girl really is, do you?" the Flame Emperor said referring to Flayn.

"Wait, do you mean…" Alex started before being struck by the Flame Emperor.

"This is for giving your enemy a moment to strike. We're done here." the Flame Emperor said before vanishing with the Death Knight.

"Flayn, are you alright?" Athena asked running to her.

"Uh...yes. I'm okay." Flayn said.

"Flayn!" a voice shouted as Seteth came down with Maya and Maria. "Thank goodness you're safe."

"Seteth...what did the Flame Emperor mean by special? Is it Flayn's crest or something?" Jason asked.

"Not quite. Its Flayn's blood they probably referred to." Seteth said. "It has...special properties."

"That makes a lot of sense...considering what she is." Glitz said.

"So you knew. How?" Seteth asked.

"A lot of the little things. One of them being the fact that over the paintings of her...she hasn't aged a day. That isn't normal." Glitz said.

"Hmm. Shut the door." Seteth said as Maya and Maria did so.

"What's going on?" Ryuuko asked.

"What's going on is we're talking to two myths. They're two of the four saints." Glitz said.

"Four Saints?" Cedric asked. "Now that you mention it, yeah… I don't know why I didn't notice this before. Cethleann and Cichol."

"The dragons of light and earth." Alex said as he stood up.

"That refers to Crest Stones, not us. But yes...what he says is true. We are two of the four saints. Survivors of Zanado." Seteth said.

"Zanado? The Red Canyon?" Cheetah II asked.

"That was your home along with Sothis's wasn't it?" Alex said.

"How do you know that name? No one of this current era should know it." Seteth said.

"Sothis? What's Alex talking about?" Jason asked.

"It's long lost but that was the name of the first goddess but its so faded from obscurity only a small few actually know it. It's not even talked about in the church." Glitz said.

"I just...thought of that name for some reason." Alex said.

"Anyway...we came to the church for safety and solace. A place where Flayn could be safe." Seteth said.

"So that's the story… I never imagined…" Cedric said.

"But wait… If you were survivors of Zanado, that means you took part in the Heroes War centuries ago, right?" Cheetah II asked.

"Yes, that's correct." Seteth said.

"The Heroes War… Everything always seems to come back to that…" Cedric muttered.

"It was a major turning point for many people. However, you saved and protected Flayn and for that I am eternally grateful." Seteth said.

"You're very welcome. It's the least we could do." Athena said.

"I think you should tell us then...about what really happened during the massacre." Glitz said. "There's something wrong with this country's history and we have a right to know."

"You're right. You children do have a right to know. The truth is, the story behind the Ten Elites, the Hero Relics, even Crests...are all a bunch of lies." Seteth said.

"What? You mean all of that was fabricated?" Cedric asked.

"But...why was this country's history fabricated? Why would Rhea… Pardon me for mentioning her in your presence, but… Why would she go so far?" Cheetah II asked.

"Even I don't know all of her motivations. She could have done it out of honor for our people or perhaps to keep the human race placid with false stories of bravery." Seteth said.

"Hmm." Alex said.

"Let's start with what really happened. Nemesis...he was more than someone who opposed the goddess, rather he was a thief who stole her body while she slept and killed her. Her blood was used to create a crest while her bones were used to forge the Hero Relic known as the Sword of the Creator." Seteth said.

"The one Byleth currently wields." Alex said.

"The very same. Truth is...the Ten Elites were Nemesis's allies, not enemies. And their crests and Hero Relics...made from the blood and bones of my people." Seteth said.

"Oh my god…" Athena muttered in shock.

"Why would Nemesis do that?" Aiden asked.

"You humans don't get it. Sothis would never choose to give powers to any of your kind, rather you all went and took it to satisfy your greed." Seteth said.

"Maybe that's what humans did many years ago, but we wouldn't have done something like that." Amelia said.

"There's no use defending it. Humans are creatures of greed, after all. It was proven more times than subverted." Cheetah II said.

"That's right. It's in our nature. We just end up taking and taking until there's nothing left. It's just a way of life." Glitz said.

"So, Rhea took matters into her own hands and killed Nemesis herself." Cedric said.

"So you know who she really is. I figured as much." Seteth said.

"We know she's Seiros. But...why is she doing any of this? Why?" Glitz said.

"What?" Jin said.

"Haa...its about time you guys were let in on something." Glitz said as he told their classmates the truth about what they were doing in secret.

"Sorry we kept this a secret all this time, but...we didn't want to cause a panic." Cheetah II said.

"She's right. If this got out in public, it would lead to some very devastating results." Cedric said.

"So...under no circumstances are we to talk about this with anyone from the church or with the house leaders." Glitz said.

"We understand. I had no idea it was really that big." Ashe said.

"That means you too, Jin." Edward added.

"I would never say anything that would endanger my brother." Jin said.

"Speaking of which… The Battle of the Eagle and Lion is next month." Cedric said.

"Ah...that's right. Next month's the Wyvern Moon. So...it's good to get revenge against you for that mock battle." Glitz said.

"You just saw me hold my own against the Death Knight. I don't think I have anything to worry about." Cedric said. "But… For me, the battle will serve another purpose."

"What kind of purpose?" Edward asked.

"You see, based on all this information that we just gathered, my faith in the Church is starting to wane a little bit. I feel like it's about time before I make a stand against them, and the Flame Emperor. But… Even with the support of my class, I can't do this on my own." Cedric said.

"Who said you were alone? We're standing here with you." Jason said.

"He's right. We started this whole thing together." Glitz said. "And I did say we'd be falling into hell together."

"This mock battle will also test the combat capabilities of everyone here as well, to see if I can trust you all with my life if it comes to it." Cedric said.

"D-Does this include us as well?" Maria asked.

"Hmm. Alex...you said you wanted a big assignment right? Well...with the way things are going...it's about time we started to turn members of the church onto our side." Glitz said.

"The Battle of the Eagle and Lion is going to be a big event. Glitz, Jason… I ask you and your houses not to hold anything back!" Cedric said.

Glitz hesitated for a moment before looking serious. "Sure. You want serious...no problem."

"Same here." Jason said.

"You got it!" Edward said. "I'll bring everything I've have!"

"Well, you've already asked me to keep a watch on Rhea, I'll do what I can to convince Cassandra and the others." Alex said. "It's time we made our parents proud."

"Seteth...I know you don't want to hear any of this but...if things do go wrong fast...you'll fight with us, right?" Glitz asked.

"As much as I am sure to regret this later...yes. I will join forces with you when the time is right." Seteth said.

"Thank you." Aiden said.

"Now then. We all have some training to do. See you all at Grondor Plains." Cedric said.

"Yeah...we should be heading out back to our dorms." Glitz said as the students started leaving.

"So...were you serious?" Jin asked.

"Yeah." Glitz said looking at the strange cuffs on his arms. "I mean, I do owe him this much after all. He wants serious...that's what he'll get."


	8. Battle of the Eagle and Lion

"The battle of the Eagle and Lion. A historic battle between the three territories a few centuries back. But now, it's a mock battle that pits the three houses against each other. The objective is that the house who eliminates more enemies wins." Glitz said.

"Not a problem. We can take down more guys no problem!" Jin said.

"While that may be true, the problem will definitely be Cedric. He's like his old man in more ways than one. Meaning he hates to lose. He's definitely going to try and keep the lead to his house." Glitz said.

"So we just keep our focus on the Blue Lions and not anyone in the Golden Deer?" Jin asked.

"No, that would be a huge oversight considering they have Claude on their side. Hmm...however...if we goad one of them into battle...we can definitely ruin any formation they have planned." Glitz said.

"That might be kinda hard. Claude and the others keep their formation pretty tight. If we want to split them up, we need something big." Jin said.

"Oh don't worry. I've already figured out who to goad into breaking his schemes." Glitz said. "Or more accurately who Oliver will goad."

"Yeah...wait, what?" Oliver said.

"Relax. You'll be fine." Glitz said. "As for Cedric...since he wants an all out fight, I'll go and keep him busy while the rest of you take out the enemy. Now...before the battle begins. There will be a coin toss for the house to claim the wooden platform in the center. It may seem insignificant but it's got a crossbow built into it, perfect for archery units. If we don't win the toss, our objective will be to claim that and have Bernadetta man it."

"Me? Are...are you sure?" Bernadetta asked.

"Aside from Petra, you're more skilled in archery than any of us here." Glitz said.

"Yeah, you got this, Bern!" Edward said grinning while sending her a thumbs up.

"Well ...I'll try the best I can." Bernadetta said.

"Good. And if she takes the archery platform, Caspar, Petra and Ferdinand as well as Edward will have to work to protect it from all sides." Glitz said. "As for the rest of us, we'll divide across the battlefield to systematically take out both the Lion and Deer houses. With this, we should be able to net a quick victory. That's all for now. War meeting over."

_The Golden Deer Classroom…._

"Okay, so what's the plan for the battle, Claude?" Jason asked.

"We'll start out from the forest so we have more cover. As for who takes the center platform…" Claude said.

"I wouldn't mind taking it." Ignatz said.

"Good. As for protection. Raphael, Jason, Cross and Leonie will protect him. A small battalion will sneak towards the rear of the Eagle house and attack from behind while the rest of us will work on battling the Blue Lions." Claude said.

"I've taken into account the errors we've made during the mock battle. Our first target's gotta be Oliver." Leonie said.

"Good call Leonie, his singing's a pain. He might break up our formation if we let him warm up his pipes." Jason said.

"Hmm, his singing only affects women, so...Kaze, see if you can take him out." Claude said.

"Leave it to me." Kaze said.

"If Oliver is outta the picture, we'll have a clear shot at taking the lead. Our house is the best at archery, so once we take the center area, we're sure to win." Claude said. "And once we take that crossbow, we'll bring the heat. Amelia, I need you to use your dimension magic and cause as much chaos as you can. Tear as many holes as possible and scatter the other houses."

"Alright." Amelia said.

"Natsuki, stay up high with Ignatz and snipe the long-range targets." Claude said.

"You got it!" Natsuki said.

"The rest of us will mop up the others and work on the ground. Oh, and try not to get eliminated while we're doing this… because that would be bad." Claude said.

"Don't worry Claude. Long as we stick to your strategy and not get lured in, we'll have a chance." Jason said.

_The Blue Lions Classroom…._

"The central point is a strategic point on the battlefield. Whoever gains control of this point controls the pace of the battle." Athena said. "Ashe, your task will be taking this point. Just as a precaution, take Tulin, Dedue, Felix, and Mikasa with you."

"Understood. I'll give it my all." Ashe said.

"Valeria, you and Annette will set up an ambush point at the bridge to the east. While Nicole and Ingrid take to the cliff face and attack the Black Eagles from overhead. Just as a measure, Tyrell, and Sylvain will set up at the northern road. Mercedes, with your Physic magic, you can heal us from afar if need be." Athena said.

"Excellent plan, Athena." Dimitri said.

"As for the rest of us, we will split into two and attack the other two Houses." Athena said.

"Will two people per path really cover such a strategy?" Cedric asked.

"We all saw each other's strengths in battle before. If we believe in our abilities and each other, we are sure to pull this off." Athena said.

"Agreed. We need to keep together and go strong." Ingrid said.

_The day of the battle…_

"Okay...we want a good clean battle. And try to keep from actually killing one another." Seteth said. "And for who claims the platform. After a coin toss, the one who starts off with it is...the Golden Deer house."

"Yes!" Jason cheered.

"Huh. What're the odds of us getting the platform?" Ryuuko asked.

"Three to one." Lysithea said.

"Lady Luck's smilin' on us for sure." Cross said. "Since we got the first claim of the tower, it means we got the high ground. And we're gonna make sure it stays with us."

"Wow...they got center." Voltic said.

"It's fine. We accounted for one of the other houses getting the center." Glitz said.

"Um, are you sure we can take it from the Deer, Glitz? The Golden Deer's specialty is Archery." Bernadetta said.

"Don't worry Bernie. As long as Glitz has his plans, we have nothing to fear." Jin said.

"And you all should stop acting like idiots cause they have the platform." Glitz said. "We can still destabilize their formations."

"Right! All Oliver has to do is lure them in!" Caspar said.

"Heh. Yeah. Course if they knew who our target was, they'd think twice." Glitz said.

"So, Claude's house has taken the center. This complicates things." Dimitri said.

"No, it doesn't. In fact, I was hoping that this would happen." Athena said.

"You did?" Sylvain asked.

"Glitz will try to lure them away from the central platform. That will be the moment that Ashe's team moves in." Athena said.

"Okay." Ashe said.

"Alright, guys. The show's about to start." Glitz said as the horn blew. "And as if on cue. Let's get to work." he said as they spread out.

"God I really hope Glitz knows what he's doing...cause I sure as heck don't." Oliver said close to the Golden Deer camp. "Here goes." he said clearing his throat. "Hey! Golden Deer! I hear that you all pretty good. But the worst house there is...House Gloucester!"

"What?" Lorenz said growling.

"That's right! Hey, your noble families are watching this right? Do you really wanna be sidelined?" Oliver said.

"No...I don't. Troops! Advance!" Lorenz said moving out with a number of troops.

"Lorenz! Get back here, what're you doing?!" Jason asked.

"So that was Glitz's plan." Claude said.

"Claude, what's going on with Lorenz? Why's he so riled up, he's never like this." Jason said.

"Lorenz's pride comes from his nobility and believing nobles have to be proper and do everything for the people. Oliver just insulted his noble pride, forcing him to take action and be more noticed." Claude said. "Not bad at all."

"Is this really the time to admire an insult? If Lorenz goes down, our whole formation falls apart, remember?" Ryuuko said.

"It already fell apart the moment he mobilized some of our troops." Claude said.

"Great…." Jason said.

"Plan B. Hold the tower and don't let Ignatz be thrown off!" Claude said notching his bow.

"What about Lorenz?" Cross asked.

"He'll be okay, I think." Claude said.

"As I thought, Lorenz has taken the bait." Glitz said. "Continue with your given assignments." he said heading into Blue Lion territory. "Hey, Cedric! You home?"

"Oh, Glitz. Do you really think we haven't accounted for this? Ambush troops, now!" Cedric said.

"Figured as much." Glitz said removing his lab coat to show the devices on his arms. "Limiter Braces, deactivate." he said as they broke off his arms.

"What in the? What's this surge of magic power?" Lysithea said.

"He really went through with it." Jin said.

"This surge in power. I don't think our ambush is gonna cut it." Nicole said.

"It probably won't. If this were just some ordinary fight, I would have avoided you guys...but since Cedric wants an all-out fight...I'm going all out. To be honest, I really hate having to do this since this makes me look like a hypocrite, but...it's not like I care about others opinions anyway. Lightning Magic: Heaven's Judgment!" Glitz said as lightning rained down across the area.

"Wait...Glitz actually knows magic?!" Voltic said.

"Yeah. He's a master at the elemental magics but he hates magic so he wears those limiter braces to suppress it to a minimum." Jin said.

"So, you've finally used it. I guess even someone like you believes in magic, after all." Cedric said.

"I never said I never believed in it. I just want to make it a science and eliminate the name...that's all." Glitz said. "I really hate having to use this magic I was given but...I gotta put that aside if I wanna take you down."

"You'll have to get past us first. Grave!" Nicole said as spires of earth emerge from the ground beneath Glitz.

"Earth Magic: Subterranean Escape!" Glitz said as a hole opened beneath him as he fell through.

"Huh? Where did he go?" Nicole asked.

"Nicole! Behind you!" Ingrid said.

"Water Magic: Aquatic Illusions!" Glitz shouted as multiple copies of him appeared around Nicole.

"Crysta Laviena!" Nicole called as vines of ice and roses appeared around her as they froze all of the water clones in an instant.

"Hey...tag." Glitz said tapping her shoulder and shocking her.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" Nicole screamed before collapsing.

"Nicole!" Ingrid said.

"Don't worry about me, Ingrid. Just go!" Nicole said.

Ingrid reluctantly nods before going to backup Ashe's group in the center platform.

"Well...so much for your ambush. Any of you wanna be next...or is it gonna be you, Cedric?" Glitz asked.

"You really want it to be me that badly? Fine." Cedric said. "As long as Athena's strategy pulls through, I don't care what happens to me."

"Athena...no matter how much I try...she seems to be the one person I can't outsmart." Glitz said. "But you...I hate to admit it but we're more alike then you might hate to admit. See...I don't like to lose either."

Cedric draws his sword. "Call him stubborn if you want, but my father was never one to back out of a challenge. And neither will I."

"Then let's stop beating around the bush. Wood Magic: Raising Stalks!" he said as wooden stakes started to rise out of the ground.

Cedric's sword turns orange as he leaped. "Earthshaker!" he shouted as he slammed into the ground, causing a short earthquake that caused the stakes to crumble before his blade turned blue. "Aqua Cutter!" he shouted as he slashed, sending a water-imbued shockwave at Glitz.

"Fire Magic: Fire Wall!" Glitz said raising a wall of flames that the water immediately extinguished. "Fire Creation Magic: Flame Shotgun!" he said creating a gun made of fire as he began firing fire bullets.

"Arctic Style: Crystal Sweep!" Cedric said as his leg coated in ice and delivered a roundhouse kick, sending a flurry of crystals at Glitz. "This intensity… I remember that this is just like our fathers back in their time."

"Yeah...they had a rivalry about trying to beat the other." Glitz said as the fire bullets and ice crystals collided. "Hmm? Metal Magic: Iron Shield!" he said blocking an attack from Jason.

"Just as I thought. I knew you wouldn't want to miss out on this, Jason. Looks like luck is riding on our House after all." Cedric said as his blade torn green and created a tornado, which sent himself upward.

"Great. He's given himself an advantage by taking to the sky." Glitz said.

"Not gonna stop me." Jason said. "Our fathers were always getting stronger, and testing their strength against one another. Glitz… do you remember when your father and mine clashed for the first time? When they were at a draw?"

"Why go back onto the past? That has no relevance to...hmm. Jason, you weigh about 100 pounds right?"

"What are you talking abou.. Oh no." Jason said.

"Earth Creation Magic: Earth's Catapult!" Glitz said as a catapult made of earth emerged with Jason in it. "Fire!" he shouted as it flung Jason into the air.

"Perfect. Spectral Thunder Spear Formation!" Jason said as his spear changed with electricity and shot at Glitz catapult. "Target locked on! Try this!"

"Heh… your pretty ambitious aren't you?" Glitz smirked as the lightning aimed at him redirected to the shield sticking right out of the ground. "I stuck the shield into the ground so it could act as a lightning rod."

"And you're pretty predictable, Glitz." Jason said swinging his spear. "I've been saving this one! Duality Inversion!"

Darkness then surrounded Jason as he descended to the ground with increased gravity as he landed safely.

"Darkness Formation!" Jason said spinning his spear as a black spear was created. "Now! Dark Matter Control: Planetary Devastation!" he said firing the spear into the air.

"Darkness Magic: Black Hole!" Glitz said as a hole opened in his palm as it sucked in the spear.

"Bad idea, Glitz!" Jason said. "That technique of mine is a little something I studied to create myself! It's a miniature planets core that sucks in land mass to create its own gravity!"

"Oh I know! That's what the black hole was for...to keep it from sucking in anything." Glitz said. "Don't underestimate science or my magic, Jason. You and your dad live in the past so let me make something clear now...I'm not my dad." Glitz said. "Light Creation Magic: Light Cannon!" he said creating a cannon of light. "And the ammo I'm firing...is what you just saw me suck up!" Glitz said as the Planetary Devastation attack was fired right into Jason.

"(I can't dodge…!)" Jason thought as the attack hit him dead on, appearing to hit home.

"Our fathers are the past, and you're living in it. I… am the future of the worlds. That's what you should be too." Glitz said.

"I'm not living in the past, stupid!" a voice came as light erupted from where Jason was as he leaped out as he was covered in both light and darkness. "I'm taking my father's past… and moving it into the future!"

"Whoa…" Cross said.

"He combined both light AND darkness?" Glitz said surprised. "Now that is something."

"Incredible, it's just like how Uncle Atro and Magress told me." Alex said on the sidelines.

"The true battle… begins now, Glitz!" Jason said.

"Interesting...and damn right it does. You don't call me stupid and get away with it." Glitz said.

"(This is just perfect. While these two are busy duking it out, I can help my allies take the field. I should probably start with the center platform… They look like they can use some help right about now…)" Cedric thought.

"Ready to finish this, Glitz?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, however this won't end the way you think it will." Glitz said.

"Right back at ya. I don't intend to lose. Let's find out what's strongest, your Magic and Revolutionary science, or my elemental mastery!" Jason said.

(Cue-Natsu vs Dyst: Fairy Tail)

Glitz and Jason charged at one another as they fired at each other.

"The apex of light and darkness, Chaos Formation! Duality Blast!" Jason said firing a black and whie laser at Glitz.

"Ice Magic: Prism Shield!" Glitz shouted creating an ice prism as it reflected the laser in all directions.

"Whoa, jeez!" Ryuuko said.

"Sorry, Ryuuko!" Jason said. "Dark Shroud!" he chanted, covering Glitz with darkness.

"Heh...not bad. But hiding in the dark isn't going to help." Glitz said tossing a flash bulb as it went off, illuminating the entire area.

"Gotcha!" Jason said absorbing the light into a sword. "Illumination Edge!" he said slashing Glitz.

"Damn. You may be a battle genius yourself. But...you're not a science genius!" Glitz said grabbing onto Jason.

"What?" Jason asked.

"Take a look." Glitz said showing his body covered in copper wires.

"Copper Wiring?" Claude asked.

"That's right. And you know what copper's conductive to right?" Glitz asked as sparks came from his fingers.

"Crap, copper conducts electricity like clockwork." Jason said.

"I was saving this trick as a last resort in case Cedric was getting the better of me...but since he's not here, you get to be the guinea pig." Glitz said.

"I don't have enough time to move out of the way… guess I have to get creative fast." Jason said.

"Sorry Jason, but we're both going down! Lightning Magic: Self Lightning Rod!" Glitz said as both he and Jason were electrified, shocking them both and eliminating them.

"A last resort attack." Claude said. "That's how far Jason pushed Glitz."

"Well...guess we're done here. Jin...I'm leaving the rest to you. Good luck, brother." Glitz smiled as he passed out.

"I may have been taken out… but at least I got to see the real you, Glitz. Everyone… do your best." Jason said passing out as well.

(End song)

"Wow… what a battle." Cross said before he was knocked out.

"You should've focused more on us." Felix said.

"Alright, Ashe. You're good to go." Tulin said.

"Huh? What's that in the distance?" Dedue said. "Wait...is that…"

"I'm going to….do it right, brother!" Jin shouted charging the platform.

"It's Jin. And he seems way more fired up than usual." Mikasa said.

"Element Equip! Fire!" Jin said equipping himself with fire. "Ultimate Color: Rushing Phoenix!" he shouted charging at the platform.

"He should know he can't take us all on. What's he...wait...is he seriously thinking of…" Felix said.

"War Rule Number 43 of Glitz's book: If you can't take the advantage...get rid of the advantage point!" he shouted, hitting the platform with fire as it lit up.

"Arctic Style: Shivering Wind!" Cedric said conjuring a blizzard that put out the flames. "Whew… I made it in time."

"Flame Servo!" Jin shouted hitting the platform again.

"What? He's still going? What's that idiot thinking?" Felix asked.

_Flashback…_

"Jin...this is something I want you to keep in mind. There will be a very real chance I get taken out in battle. So if that happens, I want you to take out the platform. Cedric will likely try putting it out. So if he does, ignite it again as much as it takes...even until you become too weak to move." Glitz said.

_End Flashback..._

"I won't...let you down, big brother!" Jin shouted. "I'm not going to lose here. I'm going to...become a hero!"

Cedric conjured an ice tornado around the platform. "Hurry, you guys! Even I won't be able to hold this point forever! We have no choice now… All units, advance!"

"Hmm...seems they've started to advance. It's about time. All troops, march out!" Hubert said as their troops advanced as well.

"It's all gone as Glitz planned. He's drawn all the forces into an all out attack." Voltic said.

"Now in a fight like this...who comes out on top is up to chance." Dorothea said.

"Then let's get chance on our side!" Edward said. "Let's go!"

"Well...this just turned out to be an interesting change of plans. Guess we'll move out too." Claude said as the Golden Deer House joined the all out battle.

A fierce battle began to ensure all across the battlefield as troops fell to other troops as the battle kept going into the small hours of the night.

"You...you're pretty good." Jin panted.

"You too." Cedric said. "But I won't let you win."

"And I...won't let you win!" Jin said charging.

"That's enough. The time has expired!" Seteth said as Jin collapsed to the ground in shock.

"These things are timed?" Ryuuko said.

"Not normally but…" Seteth said pointing to the setting sun.

'So...who won?" Ben asked.

"After careful calculation and compiling the data...the winner of this year's Battle of the Eagle and Lion are...the Golden Deer House!" Seteth said.

"We won?" Amelia asked.

"Well… this is unexpected." Cross said.

"Huh...what do you know." Glitz said. "Maybe it's better this way."

"We were so close… I guess we shouldn't have left our forces too spread out." Cedric said.

"Yeah. And...I shouldn't have tried so many extreme tactics just to win." Glitz said. "Hey...Cedric...can you keep a promise for me?"

"What would that be, Glitz?" Cedric asked.

"It in some point in time I try something that might push others to the edge...I want you to stop me. Can you do that?" Glitz asked.

"S-sure. I promise." Cedric said.

"Thanks." Glitz said. "Think we can still sneak in on the Golden Deer's victory celebration?"

"If...Jason won't mind. What am I saying? Knowing him, he won't mind." Cedric said.

"You know...I was wrong about you. You aren't like your old man...you're someone who's gonna end up even better." Glitz said heading off.

And that was how the battle of the Eagle and Lion ended that day, with a massive celebration with all three houses together. However, as they enjoyed this small reprieve, a great darkness was starting to crawl out from the cracks. Creatures that tend to slither in the dark.


	9. The Flame in the Darkness

One afternoon in the Monastery, sounds of tennis balls being hit were heard as over by the tennis courts, Cedric was engaging in a match with Cheetah II.

"You're skilled." Cheetah II said. "But why tennis? I would much rather perform hand to hand combat."

"Well, I'm not sure if you have been told this, but my father was a very skilled tennis player in his youth. Whenever I feel down, I usually come down to the courts and practice." Cedric said. "Plus, from what I recall… One of his most memorable encounters with your mother took place in an island dedicated to tennis. Trust me, I can hardly believe it myself."

"Is this about what happened at the Battle of the Eagle and Lion?" Cheetah II said.

"Well… Kind of. With all of the information we got about Rhea and the Church of Seiros along with the Death Knight, I just...couldn't focus." Cedric said. "In a real battle, a lapse in judgment can mean the difference between victory and death. I knew this, and I still did what I did."

"I also noticed that you were a bit uneasy during the last mock battle." Cheetah II said. "Do you believe in fighting fairly?"

"Of course I do. One of the many things I inherited from my father, I guess. He never was one to take underhanded tactics lightly." Cedric said.

"I see." Cheetah II said. "It's strange though… you don't seem to have that same rivalric connection that our parents did."

"That might be because they initially met as enemies. All she could think about was killing him in retribution for locking up Diana Prince during Brainiac's invasion all those years ago. After a while, though, some complications arose and…" Cedric started. "Well, let's just say that things were slowly mellowing out between the two. But us, we never met as enemies. We were assigned to the same House on our first day here."

"And is that a good thing to you?" Cheetah II asked.

"I was… I will admit, surprised at first. But after a while, we all got used to having you as a friend and comrade...even me." Cedric said. "Of course, I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise. A lot of my father's group during his travels were enemies at one point or another. I don't know what it was about him, but… He has this sort of charm and charisma that tends to draw people to him."

"Interesting. Then I will do my best to become your friend as well." Cheetah II said.

"Thank you, Valeria. And also… Thanks. For helping to cheer me up." Cedric said.

"Don't mention it." Cheetah II said.

Meanwhile, Jason and Glitz were talking in another classroom after finishing up their exams.

"Phew… some battle huh?" Jason asked. "It's amazing my house won, but…. I feel bad for it not going the way Cedric wanted. We might've gotten a bit carried away, huh Glitz?"

"Look, I don't wanna talk about what happened during that battle. I already had this talk with Cedric, I don't need it from you." Glitz said.

"Right. I'm sorry." Jason said as they were quiet. "Hey...Glitz?"

"Yes?" he asked.

"Why do you hate magic? I know you want to eliminate the concept of it and revolutionize it, but… if you can use it yourself, why hate what you've been given?" Jason asked.

"It's fairly simple. I hate it when there is something that can't be explained with rules and logic and people claim it as magic, something categorized as unexplainable." Glitz said.

"Huh. Well, I look at magic like this." Jason said. "I find it easier to understand when you're not thinking about it too deeply. I mean, just look at Cedric and Athena. They're quarter-Lunarian, so they at least have some magical ability."

"Jason, you're trying to ask a scientist to not think deeply about something? That's like asking a fish to start breathing air or a bee to stop following its queen. It just isn't possible." Glitz said. "Also, Athena is the one with the magic and strategic ability. Cedric just has his father's athletic ability along with both of his parents' Color Fighting styles."

"It's true bees can't desert their queens, but for the fish part…" Jason said. "There are some species that can breathe on land: Fish-Men, Mermaids, Dolphins, Whales..."

"Dolphins and Whales are mammals. They don't count as fish." Glitz said.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is that there's nothing wrong with the path you're trying to take." Jason said. "You can create your own form of magic, but think about this… can you truly erase everything known about magic that's been discovered before?" he asked as he walked away.

'"Erasing everything known about magic...From what he thinks, it's impossible. But...that's just fine. If it's an impossible problem...I just need to solve it, no problem." Glitz said.

Meanwhile, Alex was currently walking around the courtyard before seeing the hooded figure from before.

"Hey! Stop!" Alex said chasing after them only to reach a dead end. "Where did…?"

"Alex? What's goin on there, bud?" Cross asked as he appeared with Athena.

"Cross, Athena, I'm sorry, I thought I saw someone and followed them, but they disappeared." Alex said.

"Disappeared huh?" Cross asked. "It might be those guys. "Those who slither in the shadows"."

"It's actually those who Slither in the Dark." a voice said as they saw Hubert behind them.

"Hubert." Cross said. "You know who these guys are?"

"Yes. I do. They are a group that has stayed hidden in the shadows for a long time now." Hubert said.

"Hidden in the shadows? You mean like the Flame Emperor and Death Knight. We do know that they have been working together." Athena said.

"Hehehe, working together. That is a bit of an understatement." Hubert laughed. "I should warn you now...you shouldn't be chasing the Flame Emperor. Not unless you don't value your lives."

"Whaddya mean by…?" Cross asked before Hubert vanished. "Damn, he's gone. Still, I gotta tell someone about this. Athena, s'okay if ya call your little group together for an emergency meetin'?"

"O-Okay. I'll bring them over." Athena said. "(Still, what was that about…? What did Hubert mean by that? He definitely knew something. I should watch my guard around him.)"

"You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up." Alex said.

_Later when the Investigation team assembled…_

"And then Hubert said somethin' in a riddle that didn't sit well with me." Cross recapped. "Told us we shouldn't be chasin' this Flame emperor, lest we wanna get killed."

"Hubert said that?" Oliver asked.

"Yes...this is only a theory but...its possible the Flame Emperor is someone from the Imperial Army...meaning an Empire citizen." Glitz said. "And given Hubert knew of that group, he possibly has ties with them."

"Quite possibly. He might even be a member of the group sent to infiltrate the Academy." Cheetah II said.

"Hey, thanks again for lettin' me into this club here, fellas." Cross said.

"I-It's no problem at all, we're happy to have you here." Maria said.

"Great timin' too, I've done a little investigative work of my own." Cross said. "Trouble is I didn't know who to share this info with."

"That's right… how did you even know about Those Who Slither in the Dark when no one ever mentioned it?" Jason asked.

"Because Hubert told us." Athena said.

"Not just that, actually." Cross said. "After our first battle with the Death Knight, I did a little diggin'. Turns out, these slithery snakes have been orchestratin' a lot of the major events behind the scenes."

"Like the Tragedy of Duscar four years ago…" Cedric said.

"Yeah, and judging from everything we've seen, I'm guessin' they wanna bring Fodlan into an all out war." Cross said.

"No...if they wanted a war they wouldn't have gone planning that tragedy. It's possible they have some other goal in mind." Glitz said.

"What could it be?" Thetis asked.

"That's what we have to find out, but discreetly." Aiden said.

"But that's impossible considering we know nothing about their members. The only one who knows anything about them is Hubert and the Empire." Glitz said.

"Actually...I might...know something about them." Lysithea said.

"Lysithea?" Nicole asked.

"A long while back...I encountered magics who dressed just like those people you talked about. They said they were Empire soldiers and House Ordelia was part of the group that supported the Empire. So...they entered my house and experimented on the children. I was the only survivor. See...my hair wasn't always white. It turned this color after the experiments on me. When it was over, I was left with two crests...and a shortened lifespan." Lysithea said.

"Two Crests? Is something like that even possible?" Cedric asked.

"Never mind that. What kind of sadistic freak experiments on children? That's just messed up!" Tyrell said.

"Yes. From what I guess...I probably have seven years of life left in me." Lysithea said.

"I'm sorry, I wish there was some way we could help." Amelia said.

"White hair...two crests. Ah! Wait...did you say your hair turned white when you got your second crest?" Glitz asked.

"Uh...yes." Lysithea said.

"What is it?" Jin asked.

"I don't think Lysithea was the only one to survive that process." Glitz said.

"...Edelgard…" Athena said.

"Yes. Now I finally get what she was thinking that day we went to fight Miklan...she wants to become Emperor...and destroy the crest system." Glitz said.

"What would that mean for those who bear them?" Mikasa asked.

"Nothing...they'd become worthless and treated as normal people. But...considering this is Edelgard...she'll likely do anything to achieve this goal." Glitz said.

"That...doesn't sound good." Edward said.

"It doesn't." Cedric said, thinking back on the Flame Emperor. "(Could Edelgard really be… No… It can't be… Can it?)"

"Hey fellas… I think I might know who the Flame Emperor could be." Cross said.

"It's not Edelgard if that's what you're going for." Glitz said.

"How can you be so sure?" Jason asked.

"It just isn't. And we're done discussing their identity." Glitz said.

"(He's lying again. But...why?)" Jason thought. "(Is he denying it? If so, why?)"

"Any assignments? It's around that time." Tatsuya said.

"Yes. We got it just this morning. There's a sort of uprising going on in Remire Village involving the villagers." Maya said.

"An uprising amongst the villagers? That sounds a little odd." Tulin said.

"Yes, we'll have to investigate and see it for ourselves." Atlas said.

It didn't take long before they arrived in the village where they saw the villagers going around and killing one another.

"What...what could have driven them to this?" Voltic said.

"This stench in the air… No doubt some form of dark magic." Cheetah II said.

"And I think I know who's causing it." Alex said pointing an old man in dark robes holding a tome in the distance.

"Is that… Professor Tomas?" Athena asked.

"Ah...so you thought I was some old man?" Tomas said before his skin turned grey as the whites of his eyes turned black. "Ah...much better." he said. "I am Solon. Are you enjoying our little experiment?"

"Does it look like we're enjoying it? It's horrifying." Cedric said.

"You have no right to manipulate these innocent people's lives." Aiden said. "Just what's your game in this, Solon?"

"More importantly...what have you done with the real Tomas? I don't think he'd just give you his identity." Glitz said.

"Quite right. I killed that fool 40 years ago. As for what I am doing...simply an experiment for us who slither in the dark." Solon said.

"An experiment? You twisted old man… You're not getting away with this!" Tyrell said.

"Don't worry Tyrell, it's time I showed him the power of an Umbran Warlock." Aiden said as his left eye glowed red.

"Do you think you can stop me? I've seen how you all fight, and I know everything about you all." Solon said.

"Why don't we test that theory?" Aiden said.

"Certainly." Solon said motioning the villagers as they marched towards the students.

"Let's do this." Jason said spinning his spear.

"We can't go all out on these villagers. They're just normal people!" Cedric said.

"I'm sure Solon knows this all too well. He knows we won't try and harm innocent people." Glitz said.

"Then what's the plan?" Edward said.

"Well...I do have a way that can take out the villagers without killing them." Glitz said tossing something into the air as it exploded with a strange gas flowing over the villagers causing them to slowly pass out one by one.

"A bomb with knockout gas." Athena said.

"Well played, Glitz. Now we can focus on Solon without causing any casualties." Aiden said.

"It's not just him." Jin said as more mages in dark cloaks emerged.

"I thought it seemed too easy for one person to do this on their own." Maya said.

"You all focus on the mages, leave Solon to me." Aiden said before a horse whinny was heard as the Death Knight appeared as well.

"Aw, no. Not him again." Cedric said.

"The Death Knight." Glitz said.

"Emile…" Mercedes said.

"Why are you...Did they order you here?" Solon asked.

"You are to retreat at once. We cannot have you dying here." The Death Knight said.

"Hmm. Very well." Solon said vanishing alongside the Death Knight.

"Got away again." Cedric said.

"At least we don't have to worry about the villagers being controlled now." Tyrell said.

"Speaking of which, Tyrell. When Solon said that he was experimenting on the villagers...you and Aiden kind of flipped out." Tulin said.

"I think I know what this is about, Tyrell. It's about your grandmother, isn't it?" Nicole asked.

"Yeah… Let me ask you guys something… Have any of you heard of Exspheres?" Tyrell asked.

"I think I heard about them, they can increase the capabilities of the person who wears them, but there's a condition to using them isn't there?" Mikasa said.

"That's right, but only if those Exspheres have Key Crests to suppress the negative properties of the Exsphere. People that have Exspheres without Key Crests slowly turn into monsters. One of the victims of that kind of experimentation… Was my grandmother." Tyrell said.

"Damn…." Cross said.

"*Sigh* Man, the Multiverse can be a really messed up place sometimes, can't it?" Edward asked.

"Edward, maybe you can be a little more respectful?" Jason asked.

"Right. I'm sorry, Tyrell." Edward apologized.

"It's alright, Edward. It rattled my father a bit during the Journey of Regeneration, but that's what made him more determined to collect all of the Exspheres in Aselia, so that they can never be used for evil purposes again." Tyrell said.

"All the more reason we should stop Solon." Jason said. "Let's do it for your grandmother, and your father."

"Got it. Thanks, Jason." Tyrell said.

"The reason I got mad was because some of Bayonetta's memories showed some things similar to this, how her best friend was manipulated, and her father being possessed by Aesir, the last thing I want is to see innocent people to suffer the same way." Aiden said.

"Well we got rid of the enemy but Solon and the Death Knight retreated. Mercedes...you called the knight Emile. Why?" Glitz asked.

"Well...I'm not sure but...I think that's my brother." Mercedes said.

"Ah, that's right. You mentioned before that you were born a noble from the Empire." Cheetah II said. "But then your father died and your mother remarried Baron Bartels of the Kingdom of Faerghus."

"Yes. Since then I haven't seen my brother much. I've been looking for him for awhile now. But...I'm certain that the knight is him." Mercedes said.

"I see. So, what do you want to do, try and talk to him the next time we see him?" Edward asked. "Though I doubt he'd do much talking."

"Edward, you really need to watch what comes out of your mouth sometimes." Cedric said.

"Actually, that does sound like a good idea. If I could just talk to him…" Mercedes said.

"Perhaps he would stand down and reveal why he's working with them. It might be worth a shot. I'll go with you when that happens, just in case things get dicey." Cedric said.

"You? No offense, Cedric, but you couldn't land a hit on him last time, remember?" Cheetah II asked.

"Yes… I remember. However, I did notice a different effect in his armor." Cedric said. "Remember when I used my Shivering Wind attack on him?"

"It froze part of his armor." Cheetah II realized.

"It's possible his armor can't protect much against elemental attacks." Glitz said. "However, we can't just hammer him with elemental attacks."

"No problem. If the time comes, I'll handle fighting him for you guys." Caspar said.

"I'll be counting on you when that happens, Caspar." Cedric said.

"You sure Caspar? I mean...if he's part of the Empire, it's basically the same as going against your country." Jin said.

"Heh...I got nothing to lose. I'm the second born anyway so not like I'll be taking any mantles. I joined to become a knight and that's what I'll be." Caspar said.

Cedric gasped before smiling, remembering his conversation with Ashe, and how they both wanted to be knights as well. "What a coincidence. So do me and Ashe."

"Glad to hear it." Caspar said.

"Except we won't be causing unnecessary fights." Ashe said sweatdropping.

"For now, let's get back to the monastery. There's an event we need to be ready for." Tatsuya said.

"Yeah...the Millenium Festival is close at hand." Glitz said.


	10. The Cause of Sorrow

"The Millenium Festival...an event that celebrates the founding of the church. Complete with a dance competition as well as a ball." Maya said.

"Sounds like a magnificent time. We needed this after all of that constant fighting." Athena said.

"D-Dancing?" Maria asked with a blush.

"That's what Maya said, yes." Ben said.

"C-Cedric, would you like to dance with me at the ball tonight?" Maria asked.

"Of course. Though… I have a feeling a lot of girls will be asking me to dance with them." Cedric said.

"Don't worry, Ben can cover for ya. Right Ben?" Edward asked with a grin.

"...No." Ben responded darkly.

"Oooh… De-nied." Tulin said.

"Come on, Ben. Don't be such a spoilsport. It's gonna be fun." Nicole said.

"Nicole, you and I define 'fun' in very different ways." Ben said. "Besides, I...never was interested in learning how to dance."

"Me either… I was never really all that...sociable." Cheetah II said.

"Oh, that certainly won't do. Maybe some of us can teach you." Cedric said.

"Over my dead body." Ben said.

"Nonsense!" Edward replied. "He'd be delighted to learn."

"Damn it, Edward…" Ben said. "I hate you sometimes…"

"Sucks when people don't listen, huh?" Nicole asked.

"Indeed it does. Why his father had his own team, I'll never know…" Ben replied.

"Anyways, what exactly happens at the festival besides the dancing contest?" Sakura asked.

"There's going to be a grand ball later on in the month." Athena said.

"Plus winner of the contest gets the certification for the Dancer class." Glitz said.

"Dancer class?" Tyrell asked.

"It may seem like it doesn't have much use in combat, but they have the ability to reinvigorate their allies." Cedric said.

"Wow…" Maria said in awe.

"Anyway, for the contest the Black Eagles will be entering Dorothea considering she was part of an opera company and all." Glitz said.

"For us Blue Lions… Hmm… I'll have to go with Nicole on this one." Cedric said.

"Me?" Nicole asked.

"That's right. Your parents are Zelos Wilder and Selena of the Six Heroes, the reincarnation of Shiva. You've got plenty of dance experience to work with." Cedric said.

"Wait… Does that make her a demigod?" Tulin asked.

"Not...technically." Tyrell said.

"I'm part angel as well due to my father's side." Nicole said as blue crystal wings briefly appeared on her back before vanishing.

"You've got this, Nicole. I know you can pull this off." Cedric said.

"Thanks, Cedric, I'll do my best." Nicole said.

"Well for us...we'll be having Lorenz compete since he's pretty good on his feet." Jason said. "After all, dancing is part of the Noble curriculum."

"Tell that to Ingrid. She shakes like a leaf at the mere mention of it." Cheetah II said.

"I dunno what the problem is with dancing for her, I mean, she's very vigilant in training." Ryuuko said.

"Maybe it's dancing with other people that's the problem?" Edward theorized.

"Ingrid dedicates herself to being the ideal knight, but her father keeps sending proposals for arranged marriages." Athena said.

"That probably has a hand. Worrying about all those would be suitors." Glitz joked.

"Didn't think you were the type to make a joke, Glitz." Aiden said.

"What are you implying?" he said.

"What? You thought that just because he usually speaks in techno-babble and usually represses his emotions he has no sense of humor? Come on." Cedric said.

"Yes, actually." Aiden said. "It's just he seems so serious all the time since we've been here and not once have I heard him make a joke."

"Oh, Jin can tell you all about the times Glitz has made jokes." Jason said.

"Hmm...don't remember." Jin said.

"He really hasn't?" Nicole asked. "Not before coming here?"

"No, he has. I just don't remember." Jin said.

"I'm taking it as a sign that Glitz here is starting to open up." Athena said.

"So anyway, is anyone taking anyone else to the millenium festival?" Jason asked.

"Sylvain asked Athena to come. Normally, I'd be against it, but…" Cedric started.

"But nothing. I think Athena should go with Sylvain." Ryuuko said.

"That's what I was thinking. It seemed right after the way I was treating him before the battle with Miklan." Cedric said.

"Me, I was thinking of asking Leonie." Jason said.

"Tyrell, how about you and I go?" Nicole asked.

"Sure. I wouldn't mind." Tyrell said.

"Me...going solo. Might see if I can pick anyone up inside." Oliver said.

"I'll probably go with Edelgard." Glitz said.

"Good luck. Hubert is gonna be watching her like a hawk." Cedric said.

"Oh I wouldn't worry about that. I told him that during the dance, Edelgard wants a special flower that grows only on that night." Glitz said.

"Oh, you clever punk." Edward said. "He's gonna be so mad when he realizes you tricked him, though."

"I know but one Hubert free night with Edelgard is all I need to confirm some things." Glitz said.

"I'm thinking of going with Petra." Voltic said. "Since a princess shouldn't be alone on such a night. Even one not from this country."

"What about you, Edward?" Sakura asked.

"Well...I've decided to ask Bern. I feel like I'm making very good progress in terms of becoming her friend, so I'm gonna try and make sure she enjoys herself."

"Asking a shut in to enjoy a festival of people, huh? Good luck with that." Glitz said.

"Thanks Glitz. I'm probably gonna need it." Edward replied.

"I was...nevermind. Let's all just be ready for the festival and the dancing." Glitz said.

And so the preparations for the festival began. Jason asked Leonie to the festival, to which she accepted, after a round of sparring of course. When Athena asked Sylvain to the festival, Sylvain happily accepted. It took some convincing from Edward to get Bernadetta to come to the festival, but in the end she had to be brought there by being carried by him.

"It seems you've taken the phrase 'picking up girls' to a new level, Edward." Ben said.

"Ben, humor really isn't your thing." Edward said. "Trust me, we're all going to have a good time. Right Bern?"

"I knew this would happen. You get close and bring me out where I'll meet my end in front of a public audience." Bernadetta said.

"...She's certainly excited." Ben said.

"Shut it, Solo." Edward said plainly. "Bern, I swear to the highest god in this country, you aren't going to die. It's a dance, no one is going to get hurt tonight."

Things soon got quiet as the dancing on the main stage soon started as many people took their partners and started to dance upon the stage.

(Cue- Waltz of the Moonlight- Final Fantasy VIII)

The dance started out fairly amazing, with each of the pairs dancing. The dance continued for quite a bit with Edelgard and Glitz briefly brushing past Dimitri and the girl he was dancing with as Claude got on the floor with Byleth just to break the tension of the dancing as the night drew late.

"Well...that was incredible." Edelgard said.

"Yeah...I agree." Glitz said smiling. "So tell me, think we can talk in private somewhere? I have some questions." he said as they headed off somewhere by themselves leaving the others to carry on without them.

"Well...this was some dance." Dorothea said.

"Agreed. It was without a doubt incredible." Mercedes said.

"Hmm...you know? We should make a pact." Ferdinand said.

"Agreed. Let's say… We all meet up here again, five years from now." Ashe said.

"Seems like a long ways away but I'll be sure to remember it." Raphael said.

"It shouldn't be too hard to keep that promise. We'll definitely come back." Hilda said.

It was at this moment that Tatsuya takes out a camera.

"Whatcha got there, Tats?" Thetis asked.

"It's a camera. I thought I'd take a group photo of this moment." Tatsuya said.

"That sounds nice, this is one memory that will be kept forever." Mikasa said.

"Well, let's take the picture then." Ryuuko said.

Soon everyone got into position for the group photo.

"Everyone say 'Three Houses!'" Tatsuya said.

"Three Houses?" they said as the camera snapped the photo.

"Alright. That was a great photo! Thanks, everyone." Tatsuya said.

"Huh?" Alex said as he heard singing and saw it was Rhea.

"Rhea...and she's...singing to Byleth...just what is going on here? She's acting so...familiar with him." Voltic said.

"Maybe she actually knows Professor Byleth from a long time ago." Tyrell said.

"Impossible, Professor Byleth never mentioned anything about a connection with Rhea." Cheetah II said.

"Plus according to Captain Jeralt, he was raised without any knowledge of the church. He couldn't have known her." Leonie said.

"Huh? What's going on out there?" Jason said seeing some fires from inside the walls.

"Get everyone together, now." Glitz said arriving. "The monestary's been invaded by demonic beasts."

"On a night like this? We just can't catch a break, can we?" Tulin asked.

"Apparently not." Cedric said.

"Time to clean up then." Alex said.

They charged into the courtyard where the Knights of Seiros were already beginning to fight off the monsters and defend the students there. One charged at the incoming group.

"Energy Field!" Maya said firing a ball of energy at the crystal in the monster's head as it fell. As the crystal shattered, the monster reverted into a student. "What in the-?"

"The beasts are students?!" Jin said.

"What is going on here? Who's doing this?" Tyrell asked.

"Could this be an illusion?" Jason asked.

"No...this is too real to be an illusion." Glitz said before looking at the crystal. "This thing...this is a fragment of a crest stone."

"How can that be?" Mikasa asked.

"No doubt the work of our little pals in the dark." Glitz said.

"Damn it." Aiden said.

"We can't worry about that now. We need to defeat the beasts and save the other students." Voltic said.

"He's right. This may weigh heavily on my heart, but… We must wipe out these monsters!" Cedric said.

"He's right, it's the only way." Aiden said as he summoned a black panther to his side. "Shadow."

"Let's go!" Jason said as they charged into battle against the demonic beasts.

"Treize." Alex said as a man with long white hair, holding a chain whip appeared as Alex summoned a chain whip of his own.

"Try to keep the students from being killed! We're after the beasts, not them!" Jason said blasting some with light as the students were hit.

"Uh...Jason. You know those students weren't corrupted right?" Glitz asked.

"Oh...sorry!" he called out.

Cedric leaped into the air and dropped down on another demonic beast, plunging his sword on its head.

"Thunder Blade!" Athena called as a sword of lightning fell on another demonic beast.

"Ultimate Color Thunder's Fury!" Voltic shouted hitting another one dead on.

"Snow Firefly." Maria said as a blue orb of light floated above her as she started singing. "Now!" she called launching it as it flew into the center of a group of demonic beasts as it erupted into icicles in an x shape pattern.

"Okay...that should be the last of them." Glitz said. "Strange...there's no way they could have gotten in that easily."

"Guah!" A voice called.

"That sounded like… No… Captain Jeralt!" Cheetah II said.

"Come on!" Alex said as they ran to where Jeralt was as they saw him lying in Byleth's arms.

"Professor Byleth! What happened?!" Cedric asked.

"Jeralt!" Leonie shouted running to his side as well as Byleth let out some tears.

"Heh...who knew...the first time I'd see you cry...those tears would be...for me." Jeralt said before dying there with a smile on his face.

"P-Professor Byleth, I… I'm so sorry…" Cedric said.

"It's… not your fault, Cedric. That girl Monica… I saw her kill my father. I tried to stop her, but…" Byleth said as tears went down his face.

"It's okay, you don't have to say anymore." Alex said kneeling down and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Damn it…" Glitz said. "They said they wouldn't hurt anyone I knew." he growled.

"They?" Edward said. "Wait...did you KNOW this was going to happen?"

"No...this relates to something else. See...I actually know the Flame Emperor's real identity but...they said if I exposed it...they'd kill all of you." Glitz said.

"Don't worry, Glitz… I won't say anything." Cedric said.

"You… You knew as well, didn't you?" Glitz asked.

"I had a few suspicions, but… I didn't want to believe it." Cedric said.

"Heh. Deny it all you want...but they broke their promise with me..so no reason to keep it hidden. The Flame Emperor...is Edelgard." Glitz said.

"I knew it. I didn't want to believe it, but I knew it." Cedric said.

"I kinda figured it was her, but the question is why?" Alex said.

"She believes the church is manipulating the people of this continent and she's been working with Those Who Slither in the Dark to start a war, expose the truth and destroy Rhea...even if she has to pave it all in blood." Glitz said.

"From what she told you, Jeralt's death wasn't planned, but… It still doesn't excuse all of this." Cedric said.

"Why did you keep quiet? Why didn't you tell any of us?" Jason asked.

"I'll be honest...what Athena said earlier was true. I have grown used to all of you. I didn't wanna believe it myself but...it's true. You guys...really did become like friends to me." Glitz said.

"Hmph, I knew there was a heart of gold under that wall of solitude." Aiden smirked.

"Brother…" Jin said.

"So...what do we do now?" Ben asked.

"Heh...as if you all needed to ask. First...we'll avenge Jeralt by eliminating Kronya." Glitz said.

"Kronya?" Tyrell asked.

"That's her real name. Monica is just an alias." Glitz said. "The real Monica died a year ago. She's an assassin for Those Who Slither in the Dark."

"Somehow, I wasn't surprised. She's been getting real close with Edelgard lately." Cheetah II said.

"We'll need time to prepare. There will be no doubt that she'll be expecting us." Cedric said looking to Byleth. "Professor… Take all the time you need to grieve, okay?"

"Thank you." Byleth said.

"Now….let's head back inside and leave them be. We have a lot to plan out." Glitz said. "Our path is only just beginning."


	11. Where the Goddess Dwells

"It's been weeks, hasn't it since...you know?" Oliver said.

"Yeah...but one thing I don't get is why Byleth is so important?" Edward said.

"Cause he's not just some guy." Glitz said holding a diary.

"What is that?" Jin asked.

"Jeralt's diary. It's not like he's actually going to be needing it." Glitz said.

"It might help explain that presence within him." Alex said.

"It's...a bit more complicated than that." Glitz said. "On the day my son was born...the baby didn't cry. It didn't cry at all. A baby that doesn't cry just isn't normal. I have to get him out of here. They did something to him. I've used the fire that broke out to fake his death. I'll escape with him by my side." he read.

"A baby that doesn't cry? What does that mean?" Tyrell asked.

"It almost sounds like...some sort of seal was placed on his heart." Cheetah II said.

"It's more than a seal. I've been secretly taking x-ray's of Byleth and found this." Glitz said showing a photo of a crest stone over his heart.

"A crest stone?" Voltic asked.

"Not just any crest stone. It's got the Crest of Flames on it. Rhea's plans finally make sense. Byleth's just a pawn to her. He's supposed to be used to house the spirit of the Progenitor Goddess...He's Sothis' vessel." Glitz said.

"I know it's hypocritical coming from a royal like myself, but… People being used for pawns makes me sick." Cedric said.

"So the aura we've been seeing near Byleth…" Jin said.

"Likely the aura leaking from the crest stone." Glitz said.

"And that hooded figure I've been seeing from time to time." Alex said.

"Very likely someone from the church keeping an eye on him. And reporting what they see to Rhea." Glitz said.

"We can't trust anyone in the church anymore, can we?" Cheetah II asked.

"I wouldn't say that. There are people that can definitely come to our side." Glitz said. "And those are Manuela, Hanneman, Catherine, Alois, Shamir, Gilbert, Cyril, Seteth and Flayn."

"I don't know about Cyril… He seems very devoted to Rhea." Athena said.

"True. But there is a way we can turn those truly devoted to our cause." Glitz said.

"You're beginning to think like Sir Leopardmon of the Royal Knights. Quite impressive. And...also kind of scary in a way." Cedric said. "It's no wonder why my father regarded him the most out of all the Royal Knights."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Glitz said.

"I can convince some of the church members like Catherine to our side." Alex said.

"That would be good. But the real problem will be convincing those still loyal to her. But...if what I think will happen does happen...I think we can get them to our side." Glitz said.

"I guess all we can do is go through the motions." Cedric said.

"Yeah...all we can do now is wait for those guys to come back onto the scene." Glitz said.

"Righty-o, lets keep a good eye out." Cross said.

"Why are you so calm about this, Cross?" Jason asked.

"Cuz I'm taking it like my pops would any mission. Nice and easy." Cross said. "I know those guys will strike again. Cuz they'd be like that."

The days slowly passed by as the group prepared for when Kronya would appear again. It almost seemed pointless until…

"Guys! They just spotted Kronya and Those Who Slither in the Dark. They're just outside the Monastery. Planning an attack." Oliver said.

"Heh. What do you know? Right within the predicted time." Glitz said.

"Whatever you got planned, we're all ears." Thetis said.

"Plan's simple...kill Kronya and avenge Jeralt. That's all." Glitz said.

"Wow...that's really simple. Alright, let's get on out there!" Caspar said.

"Stay cautious. I have a bad feeling about this." Tyrell said.

"You, asking us to stay cautious? Are you feeling okay, Tyrell?" Cheetah II asked.

"I am. It's just...this seems way too simple. Something doesn't feel right." Tyrell said.

"He's right, this is way too easy." Atlas said.

"Uh huh...too bad someone didn't stay to listen." Voltic said pointing out to show Byleth charging at Kronya.

"Byleth, stop!" Alex called. "Damn it, he's attacking blindly out of rage."

"Would you, if you locked eyes with your father's killer?" Cheetah II asked. "Professor Byleth lost more than his father last month… He lost the only tie to this world he had before coming to the Academy."

"I don't doubt his strength but...it's 100 percent certain he'll fall for an enemy trap once he finishes Kronya." Glitz said.

"Which is why we must support him." Mikasa said.

"Not possible. By the time we reach him, it'll be way too late." Glitz said.

"But…" Maya said as they saw Byleth easily battling against Kronya with only the Sword of the Creator before Solon appeared, ending Kronya using black flames before Byleth vanished within them. "No!"

"What have you done with Professor Byleth, you cretin?!" Tyrell asked.

"Oh not much. He's just met his end within an endless darkness." Solon laughed.

"You bastard, you will not get away with this!" Aiden said.

"Wait… What is this light?" Cedric asked.

"It's so...divine." Alex said.

What Cedric and Alex were referring to was a tear in space created by the Sword of the Creator. When Byleth came out, he seemed different.

"Professor Byleth? Is that...really you?" Cedric asked.

"Yes...it is." Byleth said.

"What...what just happened?" Jin asked.

"The crest stone. He's become synchronized with the energy from it. His power is like that of the goddess now." Glitz said.

"So you survived huh? No matter. I can simply do away with you again." Solon said.

"Oh no, you won't. I think it's time you got some well-deserved payback." Tyrell said.

"Sorry Solon...but this is the end of the road for you." Glitz said as the class surrounded him.

"This is the end of the line. If you value your life, you'd surrender. Now." Cedric said.

"Any last words before you surrender?" Aiden asked.

"Hehehehe. It doesn't matter what you do with me...but Thales...he will see to it that you all will suffer." Solon laughed.

"He's lost it. Guess we should've expected this." Cheetah II said.

"Thales… That's your leader, isn't it?" Cedric asked. "The one responsible for orchestrating all of those tragedies in Fodlan from behind the scenes."

"He is. But for the past several years, he's been masquerading as an important figure in the Empire. Volkhard von Arundel...Edelgard's uncle." Glitz said.

"That explains how he's been acting in the Church, it was Thales." Alex said.

"And considering the identity he took on, he's very likely got great pull within the Empire." Voltic said. "It's almost impossible to take out these dark guys now."

"Difficult maybe, but not impossible. Science is all about making what's impossible possible." Glitz said.

"Well said." Cheetah II said as she brandishes her claws and walks towards Solon. "We learned everything we needed from you. Your role here is done." she said as she slashed at Solon.

After Cheetah II killed Solon, Cedric's sword started glowing. He was then shown a vision of David and the rest of the Hero Alliance standing against Galeem and Dharkon. "What… What was that vision?"

"Cedric? What's wrong?" Tulin asked.

"I saw a vision. Our parents standing against Galeem and Dharkon all those years ago. What could this mean? Why is that vision shown to me?" Cedric asked.

"Maybe it's a way's of saying history might repeat itself here." Jin said. "I mean, they had to choose between slaying light or darkness."

"But Uncle David decided to fight them both at the same time." Alex said.

"It means that we're about to reach a turning point. Whatever decision we make, will ultimately decide the fate of Fodlan." Cheetah II said.

"Well...you aren't exactly wrong there. What happens from this point on will determine the fate of all of Fodlan. So...we need to tread carefully." Glitz said. "But I will promise this...if we keep cooperating with these plans I promise...the number of casualties from our classes...no...from this country...will be this number." he said making a zero with his fingers.

"In that case, we will leave the decision to you when the time comes. It was because of you that we're all together, after all." Cedric said before turning to the students. "Of course, this means that whatever decision we make, we'll end up fighting some of your families. We won't force you all to come with us. Those of you who want to stay in your respective Houses can stay."

"Funny...the more we've cooperated...its felt more like a collective than three houses." Caspar said stepping up.

"If this plan will help keep my little sister safe, I'm all in for it." Raphael said.

"Me too." Ignatz said. "I want to be able to keep my classmates safe."

"I may not be of this land but I will do all I can to protect it." Petra said.

"I as well." Flayn said.

"Your plan...will it demolish the crest system and...could this science...can it remove mine?" Lysithea asked.

"It's not definite...but we can definitely try!" Glitz said.

"Then I need not hear more." Lysithea said stepping up.

"It doesn't look like there's any need to ask, Cedric. The decision seems unanimous." Felix said.

"Felix is right. Whichever path this plan of yours makes us walk...we're all seeing it through until the end." Ashe said.

"And we'll make sure of that." Amelia said.

"Uh...I uh...I'll help any way I can too!" Bernadetta said.

"I suppose I will too. Only way I'll ever be able to get good naps." Linhardt said.

"I'll do it even though I would rather be doing anything other." Hilda said.

"This is one step closer to becoming a true knight." Ingrid said.

"I'll do all I can as a proud noble." Lorenz said.

"Same here." Ferdinand said.

"I'll do it for Captain Jeralt." Leonie said.

"I'll do it so no one can say its cause of my crest. This is my choice." Sylvain said.

"The goddess would've wanted me to take the path that helps people the most. So, I'll join you guys too." Mercedes said.

"Well if we're all doing it…" Dorothea said.

"Uh...not sure I'll be much help but...I'll come too." Marianne said.

"Me too. I'll do the best I can!" Annette said.

"It looks like they are all in agreement." Cheetah II said as she smiled.

"Hmm. Everyone but Dedue, Dimitri, Edelgard, Hubert and Claude. But I think their opinions might change soon depending on how well we handle things next." Glitz said writing something. "Alex, hold onto this."

"What is it?" Alex said.

"Instructions. But do not open that paper until the date I have written on there. Once that date comes, do exactly as the paper instructs, got it?" Glitz asked.

"Of course." Alex said.

"You may not have come here as students but when this is over, you're going to have a great role in changing the history of this country." Glitz said.

"We won't let you down." Alex said.

"Since we're all unified. I have some preparations of my own to make." Athena said.

"All right. Let's get started." Glitz smiled.


	12. Throne of Knowledge

"Okay...just like you predicted. Rhea wants to take Byleth and us down into the catacombs to the throne Sothis sat on." Maya said.

"That didn't take too long did it?" Glitz said. "The operation is close at hand."

"Agreed. For now, let's just play along." Cedric said.

"It's strange… I'm the only one without any ties to the Hero Alliance, but… Over this past year, you all slowly treated me as a friend." Cheetah II said.

"The heck you talking about? We were never not friends." Glitz said.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Cheetah II asked.

"Your mom's rivalry with the Hero Alliance and Ishihara have nothing to do with us. Like we care about your families' history." Glitz said.

"Glitz is right. We were all united since the first day we got here." Cedric said. "If anything, this is your chance to prove that the past doesn't matter. You decide what happens in your life."

"Exactly, you decide who you are, nobody else does." Alex said.

"What makes you...so sure?" Cheetah II asked.

'If you were...you'd probably have slit our throats that first day." Glitz hypothesized.

"Hehahahaha. Yeah, I probably would have." Cheetah II laughed.

"Well, we're glad you didn't." Edward said. "Otherwise, we'd have never gotten to befriend you."

"So...when's the event?" Voltic asked.

"A few days from now. Plenty of time." Glitz said. "Alex, I want you to stay behind...least until you've done all the paper instructs."

"You still haven't told us about your big plan, bro." Jin said.

"Sorry but I wanna keep it all a surprise." Glitz said.

"He's right, Jin. You'll never know what could be reported to Rhea." Athena said.

"So, like Cedric said, we should just play along until the time is right." Cheetah II said.

"Alright, my group and I will be on standby then." Alex said.

"Not your group, just you. It'll be too suspicious if they all stay behind. We'll say you're sick in bed and once we're all down...get to work." Glitz said.

"Alright." Alex said.

"Now...the meeting is adjourned for now. We'll be done meeting here." Glitz said. "Continue your student lives as much as you can. Odds are...it's not gonna last much longer."

"It's been a rough year, but ultimately, this is the best course of action to take." Cedric said.

"Yeah. Hey...I never got to ask but...what were you going to do once you graduated?" Glitz asked.

"Me? Well… I was thinking that I'd travel the worlds like our families did, helping people in need, fighting for honor and justice, take down evil corporations, things like that. I'd ask my classmates in the Blue Lions to come along, but… I know that they'll all have responsibilities once this is all over." Cedric said.

"I wouldn't go assuming that. People have a funny way of surprising you." Glitz said. "Seems you and Jin share the same goal. He wants to be a hero like our old man."

"And me… Well, I wanted to be a knight. But I kind of realized early on how silly it would be for someone of my status." Cedric said. "However, after interacting with Ashe, Ingrid, and even Caspar… I kind of took back that realization and thought that maybe it's not such a crazy goal after all."

"A knight huh? Well...for me...I'd probably go hide away back in my lab...well...that was my plan anyway. Now things are different. If I'm going to accomplish my goal...I need to go further out beyond my home world." Glitz said.

"As for myself...even though I'm not a student. I think I'll travel the Multiverse too alongside my friends, discovering never before seen worlds, even meet new people as well." Alex said.

"And...I guess I'll be a hero too and travel the worlds." Jason said.

"Me? Guess I'll head back home and keep on training. After that...well, you'll keep the door open, right Jason? Alex? Cedric?" Edward asked.

"W-Well, why don't we all go on an adventure together, like our parents did?" Maria asked.

"It's possible but...let's see what happens once this is all over." Glitz said. "Then we'll make that kind of decision."

"For now, we need to put our master plan into motion." Athena said.

It was days later that the class was taken down below to the catacombs where they saw a stone throne before them as Byleth sat upon it.

"Well...anything?" Rhea asked.

"I still feel like me." Byleth said.

"I...I see." Rhea said before they heard marching as imperial troops entered the room with Edelgard leading them.

"Cease and desist." she said.

"Finally, we can stop playing school." Hubert said.

"What is the meaning of this?" Rhea demanded.

"Simple...I am the Flame Emperor." Edelgard said. "As of right now...the crest stones in those chests belong to the Empire."

"Somehow, we all had a feeling it would come to this." Cheetah II said.

"You don't sound surprised. So, you all managed to figure it out, have you?" Edelgard asked.

"Yeah...that's right. We have." Glitz said. "You won't be taking any of the crest stones today. Fight back all the Imperial troops! Don't let a single one escape!"

"Right!" Cedric and Cheetah II said as they both raced through opposite sides of the throne.

"What in the?" one guy said as Cheetah II and Cedric cut down multiple soldiers before reaching him. "Wait...spare me...gah!" he said as Cheetah II cut him down.

"Of course Glitz would have all of this planned out." Edelgard said before Glitz leapt at her.

"Fire Magic: Blazing Bash!" he said hitting her and knocking her to the ground.

"Lady Edelgard!" Hubert shouted.

"Sorry, Hubert!" Edward said as he did the same to the noble. "We'll make it up to you later."

"Excellent. They were fools to go against the church. Now...prove your worth. Kill Edelgard." Rhea said.

"Hmm. Yeah...how about this instead? Ice Creation Magic: Frozen Brass Knuckles!" Glitz shouted as he slugged Rhea instead of hitting Edelgard.

"G-Glitz? What did you just do?" Edelgard asked.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Edelgard. He didn't do it for you." Cedric said.

"I don't agree with your methods but you were right about one thing...this country is corrupt, even to its more positive figure.' Glitz said.

"You do realize what you've done, right?" Dimitri asked.

"You just made yourself an enemy of the church." Claude said.

"True. But so what? Not like I'm the pious type." Glitz said.

"How dare you...you all...all of you filthy disgusting humans." Rhea shouted as a light began to surround her before standing there was a large white dragon.

"Well...I knew she'd become a monster but...why'd it have to be a dragon of all things?" Glitz sweatted just as Alex and those of the church arrived.

"Enough of this Rhea, would your mother have want this?" Alex said.

"He...is not...my mother!" Rhea shouted pointing to Byleth as she roared.

"Is that ...Lady Rhea?!" Cyril said in disbelief.

"Well...uh...thanks for the fun stay but...RUN!" Glitz shouted.

"But where will we go? We can't go to the Empire, and we sure can't stay here." Cross said.

"I know a place. Everyone, hold onto me!" Athena said.

"Edward, grab Hubert. We're gonna need everyone out with us." Glitz said grabbing Edelgard.

"Copy that!" Edward said, grabbing Hubert. "Bye Rhea, see you later!" he called as he ran to Athena.

"Warp!" Athena said as she teleported everyone except Rhea.

"No. No. **NOOOOOO**!" Rhea roared.

The group soon reappears in a fortress.

"Where is this place?" Ryuuko asked.

"We're in a fortress in Duscar." Athena said.

"Heh. You made a nice find. No one would think to look for us in a dead country." Glitz said.

"I don't get it. Why...why did you save me?" Edelgard demanded.

"Huh? Easy. I promised there would be no casualties and I plan to keep it." Glitz said. "That includes you and Hubert too."

"But it makes no sense. None of you make any sense." Edelgard said.

"Yeah. We don't." Edward said. " But is that really a bad thing?"

"El...it's best you just go with it." Dimitri said.

"Yeah. These guys...they always make the impossible possible." Claude said.

"So...we really have turned traitor against the Church, haven't we?" Catherine said. "But how did…"

"Simple. What I gave Alex was a script of how to play all this out. Allow me to explain it. 5 minutes after we descend, Alex goes and gathers the listed Church staff. Then once all are gathered, take them down to the catacombs saying Rhea is in danger. Once they see Rhea's real form, Alex grabs each of their hands and holds onto Athena." Glitz said reading the paper.

"Exactly as he said. I am...sorry you all had to find out like this." Alex said to each of the Church Staff.

"But now you all have a chance to change things." Glitz said. "Fight alongside us, and we'll make sure you all live peaceful lives as well as make this a better country."

"Not like I have much to lose. As long as I get paid, I have no complaints for who I fight for." Shamir said.

"Not like I was gonna say no, I'm in." Catherine said.

"Lady Rhea seemed to be in pain… If this is what it will take to ease her pain, then I'll fight too." Cyril said.

"Lady Rhea… No… Seiros...has suffered long enough. We shall do out part in easing her suffering." Seteth said.

"You were all allies of Captain Jeralt so I shall do all I can to make sure you all succeed." Alois said.

"I will fight in order to protect his highness." Gilbert said.

"You all were good students after all." Manuela said.

"Indeed. Good teachers must support their students." Hanneman said.

"Of course…" Cedric said looking to Edelgard, Dimitri and Claude. "I guess we can't expect you all to cooperate right away, considering everything that's happened."

"Man...what kinda nonsense are you talking about?" Claude said. "You really think we'd turn now...after all we've been through?"

"Yes. We've been classmates for almost a year now. We will not simply abandon you all." Dimitri said.

"You all...you went to a great risk just for some belief. Then again...it's not like I can't say the same about myself." Edelgard said.

"I've dedicated my life to his Highness. If he's willing to join you, then so will I." Dedue said.

"I will follow Lady Edelgard even into the pits of hell and back." Hubert said.

"Now that we are all one united front… I think it's time I showed you all something." Athena said as she brought out a banner. It has a purple background that has a white star at the top with red, blue and yellow streaks coming out of it.

"That banner looks amazing, Athena! Did you make this all by yourself?" Annette asked.

"The design was inspired by the unity between all three of our houses over the past year." Athena said.

"And that star at the top supposedly represents…" Flayn started.

"A symbol for the new country that'll rise up from the ashes of this coming war. The United Kingdom of Fodlan." Glitz said. "As of this moment, we're a rebel kingdom with three goals in mind: Unify Fodlan, defeat Rhea and quell Those Who Slither in the Dark."

"But if we're going to do that, we'll need to set up a proper base of operations." Cedric said.

"That's right. So first things first...we'll need to take back Garreg Mach." Glitz said.


	13. War of Unity

"Alright, I'll see you then, bye." Alex said as he finished talking to someone on the comm.

"Call from your parents too?" Oliver asked.

"My sister actually. She'll be arriving in a few days to help us out." Alex said.

"Yeah...you're the only one getting a positive reaction. A lot of our parents are calling to get us to come back." Oliver said.

"Well it was to be expected. We did just declare war against the church after all." Glitz said.

"That's the thing about parents, they tend to be overprotective, especially dad. *shivers*" Thetis said.

"Well, I can call my dad and…" Ryuuko began.

"Not an option. We can't get our families involved in something we started." Glitz said.

"He's right this is our responsibility, so we have to see it through to the end." Aiden said.

"Good...now...it's about time we headed out." Glitz said. "With the way things are now at the church, Rhea's forces are disorganized. This may be the only chance we get to take the Monastery in one swoop."

"Then it's time to raise the banner. It's time we send Rhea a message." Cedric said.

"You seem unusually calm about this, Cedric. Heck, almost everyone in the Blue Lions are calm about this." Tatsuya said.

"Well, a lot of our parents have done this quite actively in their time." Cheetah II said.

"At least they're understandable." Tatsuya said.

"Now...get everyone together. We leave now, we can hit them during the night." Glitz said.

"Agreed. Let us move out." Cedric said.

"Time to strike while the iron is hot." Atlas said.

The united army soon marched out as day slowly changed into night as they arrived at the monastery where an army waited around Rhea. "Looks like they were expecting us." Jin said.

"Totally understandable. All troops...charge!" Glitz shouted as they charged towards the monastery.

"Do you not understand the consequences of your actions? To take this path is to declare war on all of Fodlan." Rhea said.

"Maybe so… But it's a lot better than keeping it in your iron grip any longer." Cedric said.

"Hmm. A shame. I expected better from you." Rhea said as the ground started to shake as large mechanical warriors emerged from the monastery.

"Okay, that's new. Troops, take out the mechs first before reaching Rhea!" Glitz said.

"But the ground troops, they'll outnumber us." Ferdinand said.

"Not quite true. We have an ace ourselves." Hubert said as a familiar figure on horseback leapt over the wall with scythe in hand.

"The Death Knight? He's on our side now?" Cedric asked.

"The Death Knight was a member of the Flame Emperor Army which is basically mine so he fights for the Empire and us." Edelgard said.

"All will fall before me." The Death Knight said cutting down the ground troops with his scythe.

"No matter what side he's on, he's still so powerful." Jason marveled.

"That's an understatement." Glitz said. "Still...all that power is perfect for us." Glitz said as he got close to a fallen mech. "I see. It runs on light magic. So...Light Magic: Remote Control Golem!" he said filling the mechs core as it rose up to start attacking the other mechs.

"Hidden Enchant." Maria said as she donned a maiden's dress as she started singing. "Now! Goddess of War!" she called as a yellow light shone over each of her allies before a spear impacted into a large group of soldiers.

"Hehehe. Nice work, you nervous little school girl." Glitz said. "We've taken down the major bulk of their army. Go for Rhea!" Glitz shouted.

"Lady Rhea!" Alex called as he, Byleth and Cedric approached her.

"I will give you all one last chance to see the error of your ways." Rhea said. "Or else you will be put to death."

"We've made our choice." Byleth said running at Rhea as she continuously blocked their attacks.

"I'm sure that in your eyes, I must be a cowardly and malevolent man." Cedric said. "But like my father before me, I have already decided to see my justice through."

"I'm sorry for what happened to you, being alone for such a long time cost your sanity, but for your mother's sake, I will make sure you will be stopped." Alex said.

"You...know nothing you stupid humans!" Rhea said pushing all three of them back before taking on her true form atop the church.

"Uh oh… That doesn't look good." Cedric said.

"She's gearing up for one hell of an attack. No way we can avoid it." Voltic said. "Everyone retreat!" he shouted as the troops and students from Fodlan ran for it.

"Is there no way we can escape?" Sakura asked.

"Maybe now is the time." Maya said taking out a strange device.

"You sure? You said it was in testing and…" Oliver started.

"If I don't we all die anyway. Let's just hope it works!" she said activating it as a dome surrounded the students not from that world and in a flash, they appeared in a ruined monastery.

"W-What just happened?" Amelia asked.

"What the heck is that?" Cross asked.

"You all have heard of the RTTP Program right?" Maya asked.

"RTTP...Return to the Past." Glitz said.

"Yes. This is a miniature device, a prototype portable time machine. However it is glitchy at the moment and only accelerates a world's time. I tried it once and skipped a day. It was the only way we could escape." Maya said.

"So we travelled forward in time, and from the looks of it a lot of it has passed." Alex said.

"According to the device...we skipped 5 years." Maya said.

"5 years? That long?" Nicole asked.

"You've gotta be kidding!" Edward exclaimed. "Holy crap, I can't believe we...wait...where's the Prof?"

"The device was only locked on others not from this world so he likely didn't get caught up in it." Maya said.

"I'm sure Byleth and the others are okay, the question is where they went." Aiden said unaware of thieves about to ambush him before two figures took them out.

"Well...so this was where you were hiding." said a girl with long blond hair with a blue streak in it.

"Carine?!" Oliver said. "And...angel girl?"

"My apologies, my name is Seraph, I'm Alex's sister." the girl with white blue hair said as a man in white armor with long black hair appeared next to her.

"Mistress, the remaining enemies have been eliminated." he said.

"Thank you, Cu Chulainn." Seraph said.

"So uh...why are you...fine young girls doing...Owowow!" Oliver said as his ear was tugged.

"You didn't call home once this war broke out. Our parents sent us to bring you guys home." Carine said.

"Yes, we're glad to see you all safe now." Seraph said.

"Wait, war? What war, we just got here!" Edward said.

"You...you really have no idea what's been going on, have you?" Carine asked.

"It's best we explain to you what has happened since you disappeared." Seraph said.

"After the war broke out, a lot has changed. Rhea fled to the Kingdom where some woman rules after Dimitri was accused of murder. The Empire was taken over in a coup by Edelgard's uncle or whatever. And the Alliance is teetering but Claude's made it look like they're united for now." Carine said.

"Dimitri was WHAT?!" Edward said. "No way, that's gotta be a lie!"

"It's true. He's considered a criminal in the kingdom now." Carine said. "But no one knows where he even is."

"Oh my god…" Cedric said.

"Dimitri…" Mikasa added.

"What about Edelgard and Claude?" Glitz asked.

"Claude is still in Alliance territory trying to regain control. Edelgard...well...there's a reason we got in so easily." Carine said before walking behind them was a woman in a long red dress with her hair done in buns.

"Hello. It's been a long five years." Edelgard said.

"Edelgard? Is that really you?" Tyrell asked.

"I can understand your shock. It has been five years. Still, you all managed to keep your promise." Edelgard said.

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Tatsuya said as he took out the photo from the Millenium Festival.

"The Millennium Festival is only a couple days away. We promised to meet up back here." Edelgard said.

"That reminds me. Where's everyone else?" Athena asked.

"Everyone is here except for Dimitri, Claude and Dedue." Edelgard said.

"Whew… That's a… Wait, Dedue? What happened?" Cedric said before remembering what Carine said. "No… Don't tell me…"

"He took his place so Dimitri could escape. He's...no longer with us." Edelgard said.

"No…." Nicole said.

"You're serious? Dedue is dead?" Cheetah II asked.

"...Dammit." Edward said quietly.

"I can't believe that would happen to him of all people…" Jason said.

"And Byleth...is he here?" Glitz asked.

"I...thought he'd be with you. No one has seen him since the day you all vanished." Edelgard said.

"Is that so?" Glitz said. "Well...we may as well make ourselves comfy. After all, we just came back to the monastery. I should probably see what I can catch up on."

"How can you be calm? They just told us that…" Jin said.

"And those that you said died...I don't suppose you've seen their dead bodies have you?" Glitz asked.

"What are you saying?" Edelgard asked.

"How can they be proven dead...if there's no body?" Glitz said.

"That sounds like something out of a detective novel. Believe me, I would know." Tatsuya said. "But… If what you're saying is true… Then that means there's a chance that Dedue is still alive somewhere."

"Not just him...I gotta believe our old professor is still kickin too." Glitz said.

"That makes me worried about him. Rhea was pretty obsessed with killing him and taking back his heart back there." Cheetah II said.

"Maybe it has somethin' to do with Sothis being inside him." Cross said.

"All the more reason to find him before Rhea does." Cedric said.

"Nah...I wouldn't make a fuss of going to look for him...he'll come to us." Glitz said.

"Well, if you are certain." Cedric said.

"However...there is something I want you to do. Find Dimitri." Glitz said.

"Find Dimitri? Ah, I see. Of course. You can count on me for this task." Cedric said.

"What about the rest of us, what do we do, Glitz?" Jason asked.

"We did just come back after a long break. It's important we catch up on all we missed these past five years." Glitz said. "We need to make our plans."

"Got it." Jason said.

"Right." Alex said.

"Come along now, fellow Blue Lions… We're bringing our new King back." Cedric said.

"Let us go." Mikasa said.


	14. The Despaired King

"So, where could Dimitri even be, Glitz?" Jason asked.

"Why are you asking me? I have no clue where he is." Glitz said.

"Well, we know he's alive. We just dunno where he is." Cross said.

"Besides, we aren't the ones involved this time. This is only for the Blue Lions, not us." Glitz said.

"He's right, Cedric is their house leader, so it's only fair that they be the ones to do it." Alex said.

"Besides, while he does that, we need to start planning our counter attacks." Glitz said.

"Right. So, what should we do first? I mean, I feel like we should go after Rhea first, but…" Edward trailed off. "That wouldn't be smart, right?"

"Out of the question. You have seen for yourself how strong she is." Mira said.

"That's what I thought." Edward said. "In that case, we'll wait until we've got everyone back together, then figure out what to do."

"Alright." Seraph said.

During their search, Cedric and his unit notice a United Fodlan soldier coming at them.

"Reporting! We have found King Dimitri! And there's also some news… We've witnessed soldiers from Faerghus carting off prisoners. Including… Some floating spider thing." the messenger said.

"Taranza? He's here too?" Cedric asked.

"He must've been so worried about us and came all the way here, but ended up captured…" Athena said.

"And leaving those prisoners in Cornelia's hold will only make things worse… We've got to rescue them!" Cedric said. "Where did you see them?"

"They're being held close to the kingdom's border." the messenger said.

"Understood. We're on our way." Cedric said as the Blue Lions moved out.

On the Kingdom border, some of the prisoners were conversing amongst themselves.

"I can't believe this. First we found out that Cedric and Athena went missing, now we ended up getting captured." the boy said in irritation.

"You were the one who suggested we come down here, Daisuke." the girl said.

"Daisuke, Chifumi, please calm down." a Wizardmon said.

"Wizardmon is right. Complaining won't solve anything. We need to find a way out of here." a Gladimon said.

"And soon. I worry so much for Prince Cedric and Princess Athena…" Taranza said. "I just hope they are okay."

"I would worry too much about them. They can hold their own in a fight. I'm sure they're fine." Chifumi said.

"In the meantime, we should figure out a way out of here." Taranza said.

"Enemy forces approaching." a soldier said looking outside. "Its...its the Unification Army!"

"Unification Army?" Taranza asked.

"An army composed of warriors from the former Officers Academy." the soldier said.

"Former Officers Academy students?" Gladimon asked.

"Cedric! Athena! They're here!" Daisuke said.

"Yes! They've come to save us." Taranza said seeing the army march on into the fortress.

"All units, advance! We must free Dimitri and the prisoners they have stored here." Cedric said.

"Your Highness!" a voice shouted as they looked over and saw an army of people from Duscar marching onto the base.

"Dedue! You're alive!" Cheetah II said.

"Yes. I escaped from my execution thanks to the loyal men of Duscar we saved years ago." Dedue said.

"I thank them for returning the favor like this. Now, let us perform a pincer attack and clear out the fortress." Cedric said.

"Agreed!" Dedue said as they charged in.

"All units, charge!" Cedric said as the Blue Lions all charged into the fortress.

"My lord and lady! Thank goodness you both are safe!" Taranza said.

"Sorry to worry you, Taranza. We couldn't afford to bring the Church of Seiros to the home front." Cedric said. "Don't worry. We're going to get you all out of here."

"I understand young master." Taranza said.

"Your highness!" Dedue shouted before they saw Dimitri, older and looking ragged with an eyepatch over one eye.

"Dimitri? Is that you? W-what happened to you?" Athena asked.

"What is this? More ghosts of the past to haunt me?" Dimitri said.

"No, Dimitri. It really is us." Cedric said. "We all came here to rescue you."

"Rescue me? Why would someone like me be even worth rescuing?" Dimitri asked. "These hands...have been tainted in an endless torrent of blood."

"Because you are our friend, Dimitri, our old House Leader back at the Academy. That should be plenty of reason. Faerghus needs you… We all need you." Cheetah II said.

"So...it really is you." Dimitri said. "You all have certainly taken your time."

"There was a very good reason for that. But we can explain once we get everyone back to the Monastery." Tyrell said.

"Very well. If you would please unlock these cuffs for me." Dimitri said.

Cedric grabbed hold of the chains as they started to freeze. He then tightens his grip on them, causing the chains to break.

"Thank you." Dimitri said as he stood up. "Do any of you have a weapon I could use?"

"I snatched this lance from one of the soldiers we ran into. Will that help?" Cheetah II asked.

"It will do. Thank you." Dimitri said as he took it. "Now...none of them will be left standing." he said charging at the enemy soldiers.

"Hey! Cedric! Athena!" Daisuke called out.

"Daisuke! Chifumi, too?" Athena asked.

"How did you guys even get here?" Cedric asked.

"You guys didn't call once the war started so our mom sent us out to look for you guys and you know...make sure you were alive and all." Chifumi said.

"But… Let me guess… You ended up getting captured." Cedric said.

"We may have tripped a trap near the fortress." Daisuke said.

"Either way, it is nice to meet you both. I am Wizardmon, and this is Gladimon." Wizardmon said.

"Ah, yes. You're the champion forms of Dynasmon and Crusadermon." Cedric said.

"That is correct, and we are currently the partners of Daisuke and Chifumi." Wizardmon said.

"It's nice to meet you both. We'll be counting on you in our coming battles." Cedric said.

"And us you." Wizardmon said.

"Now...let's get outta here. That boar might need our support." Felix said.

"Right. We've got no time to waste." Cedric said.

"Raaagh!" Dimitri roared as he cut through the soldiers left and right.

"His mind...so clouded with hate." Mikasa said.

"At Cornelia from instigating the Tragedy of Duscar. And for usurping him." Cedric said.

"Dimitri…" Nicole said.

"He won't get over this until she dies by his spear. I can tell from that look in his eye." Ingrid said.

"In that case… Let's go help him ease his burden." Athena said.

"You can count on my help as well, Princess!" Taranza said.

The army makes their way through the fortress until they meet a woman clashing with Dimitri.

"So, you must be Cornelia." Athena said.

"Oh? Well, well, well… If it isn't Floralia's Crown Prince Cedric and Princess Athena. I can't say that it's nice to meet you, but I can say I do know a lot about you." Cornelia said. "I really wish I had time to catch up, but there's only one way I can fulfill my end of the plan, and that is for you to die."

"Hmm. Strong words...especially from someone who...Slithers in the Dark." Cheetah II said.

"Huh? How did you know about that?" Cornelia asked.

"They would be the only ones who would frame someone like Dimitri for an assassination." Cheetah II said. "Plus we have someone who's very good at figuring out people's little secrets."

"Clever girl." Cornielia said.

"Enough talk. Today you die, Cornelia." Dimitiri said.

"We shall see." Cornelia laughed as mechanical soldiers like the ones from the church appeared on the battlefield.

"More mechs? I guess we shouldn't be surprised since the Church is hiding out here." Nicole said.

"Destroy them!" Cornelia ordered as the mechs started to create light spears and fired them.

"Watch out!" Cedric said as everyone dodged. "This is like fantasy meeting science fiction."

"They can still be destroyed." Dimitri said destroying them.

"Now!" Athena said as she, Cedric and Cheetah II charged at Cornelia.

"Burn in flames." Cornelia said, sending a massive fireball at the three.

"Haaaah!" Cedric shouted as he swung his sword, deflecting the fireball at one of the mechs.

"Why you insolent…" Cornelia said as Cheetah II dug her claws into her.

"Cornelia… You will die ensnared by your own delusions." Cheetah II said. "Athena, now!"

Athena nods. "Oh divine spear, run my enemy through… Holy Lance!" she said as spears of light descend on Cornelia.

"Hehehe, even if I die here, you will never stop him." Cornelia said as the spear pierced her.

"We'll see about that." Athena said as Cheetah II removed her claws and Cornelia fell to the ground.

"That takes care of that. Faerghus won't have to worry about her anymore." Tyrell said.

"Does it though? They will never see me as their king. Not after what I have done." Dimitri said.

"What are you talking about, Dimitri? Of course they will." Cedric said.

"But what I've done in these last five years… I cannot forgive myself. I've become a murderer, a traitor to my own kingdom. The future king you saw five years ago is no more." Dimitri said.

"You are no traitor, Dimitri. You fought not only for yourself, but for the kingdom and its people as well, whether they see it that way or not." Mikasa said.

"Besides...something tells me the people have different opinions." Annette said as they saw the people outside the fortress cheering and chanting Dimitri's name.

"Well, Dimitri? Will you answer their cheers?" Tatsuya asked.

"My people...a new age will soon be upon us!" Dimitri shouted as they cheered louder.

It was later the army returned to the monastery.

"Whoooo. Not bad. You did better than I expected, taking back the kingdom in just a day." Glitz said.

"It wasn't easy. We only managed to gain Faerghus' full support because Dedue came to assist us." Cedric said.

"Dedue? He's alive?" Thetis asked.

"He sure is." Daisuke said.

"Good...that crosses one of our objectives off the list. All we need is to take back the Empire and the country is united." Glitz said.

"What is the first step?" Maria asked.

"First step is just one step. If we can take out Thales, we not only destroy Those Who Slither in the Dark but leave the throne open for Edelgard to take back control." Glitz said.

"Right." Alex said.

"Hang on, do you even know where he is?" Edward asked.

"Hmm...considering how things are going, he's definitely not left the Empire but he's likely got someone hostage to make sure we don't interfere with their plans." Glitz said.

"A hostage? But...who? Everyone is here." Jason said.

"Give you a clue. She happens to be the one we're also plotting against." Glitz said.

"Rhea…" Cedric said.

"We aren't Rhea's only enemies. She was definitely taken as a hostage after she fled to the kingdom and then secretly brought to the Empire to their hideout." Glitz said.

"Well ain't this a kick in the teeth?" Aiden said.

"Not entirely. This could actually be good for us." Glitz said.

"Like killing two birds with one stone?" Thetis asked.

"Exactly. If we raid Embarr and take the castle as well as taking out our enemies within, we can end the war quickly and establish long lasting peace." Glitz said.

"It's gonna be tricky. I mean, Rhea is willing to kill us too." Cedric said. "Then again, our families did this kind of stuff all the time back in the day."

"Yeah, shouldn't be too hard." Thetis said. "If our parents can do it, so can we."

"Everyone, this is the final battle to decide the fate of Fodlan. Do not show the enemy any mercy, because you won't expect any from them." Cedric said.

"No worries. We'll take them down and make this a peaceful country forever and ever." Jin said.

"Yeah!" Edward said. "Ain't nobody gonna stop us!"

Thunder soon crashed after that happened.

"Huh...not even a cloud in the sky." Glitz said. "That's never a good sign."


	15. A Star Rises

"Is everyone ready to finish this?" Jason asked.

"I know I am. This is the final battle to decide the fate of Fodlan. If we back out now, we'll never face our families after everything we've done." Cedric said.

"Yeah. Though it seems like they've been expecting us. Guard dogs." Glitz said as multiple Demonic Beasts roamed the castle.

"We've already come this far. Let's see it all the way through." Alex said.

"Heh...can't argue with that." Glitz said. "All troops! Charge!" he ordered as the army charged into the castle and started battling the enemies above.

"Daisoujo, please lend us your power." Seraph said as a skeleton in monk robes holding a bead chain and bell appeared.

"Samsara." Daisoujou said as he laughed and rang the bell as a glyph appeared underneath a group of demons and five talismans appeared in four corners and the fifth one in the center as each of the Demonic beasts were greatly weakened.

"Where the heck is Thales and Rhea?" Daisuke asked.

"They're probably below in the lower parts of the castle." Oliver said.

"We'll have to fight our way through the castle to get to them." Jason said.

"Just the way I like it." Ryuuko said laying into a bunch of enemies.

"Take this!" Atlas said as she pounded one of her gauntlets into the ground and launched a wave of fire forward.

"Stop them!" a soldier said before an arrow with a rope attached to it was shot as Cross wrapped him up along with a bunch of others.

"Why dontcha settle down there, partner?" Cross asked.

"Nicely done, Cross." Aiden said as he used Black Midnight to shoot at oncoming Demonic Beasts and soldiers.

"Cedric, Athena, Jin, on your right!" Jason said freezing a couple.

"Maybe this'll reduce their morale...War Cry!" Seraph called as the enemies strength and defense were greatly reduced. "Cedric, now!"

Cedric jumped on one of the Demonic Beasts and stabbed his sword through its head.

"Element Equip! Ice! Ultimate Color...FREEZING BLOW!" Jin said nailing the beast, encasing it within ice.

"O countless particles that wander the heavens, rain down and glorify the land...Meteor Storm!" Athena casted as meteors fell on another Demonic Beast.

"Icefall Dragon." Maria said as she started singing. "Go forth!" she called as a large serpent dragon of ice roared before it charged through a group of soldiers, hitting them multiple times before being frozen.

"Guess it's time to bring out the big guns. Zephyr!" Alex called as a pink-purple light appeared and formed into a human sized white wolf with five hair dreadlocks as Alex jumped onto his back.

"Alex, We'll stay back with Edward and the others. You, Jason, Cedric, Athena, Glitz and Jin go after Rhea!" Cross said.

"Right, let's go!" Alex called as he rode on Zephyr as he and the others headed to Thales' and Rhea's location.

"If we take out Thales and Rhea, all of this will end." Jason said. "Are you ready to stop them, Glitz?"

"Sure but...somehow I don't think Rhea's got the pull anymore." Glitz said as they descended downward before they saw Rhea chained to the wall as Thales stood before a ritual circle.

"Thales! What is the meaning of this ritual?" Cedric asked.

"You don't intend to resurrect...him, do you?" Athena asked.

"Hmm. You catch on fast. Indeed, very soon, the King of Liberation will be making his grand return." Thales said.

"King of Liberation?" Jin asked.

"Nemesis." Glitz said.

"The original wielder of the Sword of Creation, slain by Rhea herself in the War of Heroes centuries ago." Cedric said. "Do you truly intend to encompass Fodlan in a shroud of darkness once again?"

"Of course. After all, it was us eons ago who brought down the gods and goddesses." Thales said.

"And the reason you got Rhea imprisoned is so you can have Nemesis get revenge by killing her. You got this all planned out. However...there's no way we'll let you get away with that." Glitz said.

"That's right. We're giving Fodlan back to its people, where it belongs." Cedric said.

"Very well...then you shall meet your ends down here!" Thales said.

"The only one who will fall today is you." Alex said. "Aisha!" he said as he switched from Zephyr to Aisha as he summoned his katana.

(Cue- When Determination Strikes- Tales of Vesperia)

"You will perish before me! You are only children doing your parents work!" Thales said attacking them.

"Wrong, Thales!" Jason said blocking. "We may still be children… but we are also.. The next generation!" he said pushing him back. "Prismatic Blast!" he said hitting him with a blast of light. "Cedric!" he said as Cedric charged ahead.

"Burning Twin Dragons!" Cedric shouted as two streams of fire emerged from his sword, taking the form of dragons as they were sent at Thales.

"You fool." Thales said creating two light spears before darkness began to surround him. "What the?"

"Darkness Magic: Sitting Duck Dome!" Glitz said trapping Thales as the twin dragons hit him.

"Gah!" Thales shouted.

"Element Equip! Darkness! Ultimate Color...Darkness Slasher!" Jin shouted slashing Thales multiple times.

"Guh!" Thales grunted. "You insolent…"

"I who stand in the full light of the heavens, command thee who open the gates of hell...Come forth, divine lightning!" Athena chanted as particles of lightning gather overhead.

"That… that technique is…!" Thales grunted.

"This ends now! Indignation!" Athena shouted.

"No… This cannot be…!" Thales said as a massive lightning bolt struck Thales.

"It ends here, Thales!" Alex said as he glowed a red aura as he and Aisha charged forward and synchronized each others sword strikes. "Finishing Strike…" he started before launching Thales into the air. "Crimson Lotus!" he called slashing upward through Thales before landing as Thales fell to the ground.

"Impossible...defeated by mere children!" Thales said.

"Didn't I say it already?" Jason asked. "Were more than just children. We're the next generation, and we each have our own dreams."

Thales soon fell dead to the ground.

"No more of those snakes who slither in the dark." Glitz said as he approached Rhea and unchained her.

"We know what you're going to say, Rhea." Cedric said.

"Do you?" Rhea asked.

"Yes. You are going to ask why we'd even help you. It's just as we told Thales. We're simply giving Fodlan back to its people." Cedric said. "This system that the Church has created. No one should have to suffer for it."

"Yes...that is what I would say." Reha said. "But I have nothing to say to you at all."

"Huh? Why?" Jason asked.

At those words, Cedric has his sword at the ready. "Did you forget already, Jason? We're the ones that declared war on the Church in the first place."

"No...I have nothing to say...because through all of this...I've come to learn...of my own flaws." Rhea said.

"Really?" Glitz said.

"Yes. I lead myself to believe all I did was for the good of Fodlan. But...in the end...I just wanted to bring my mother back." Rhea said.

'You can change though. Just come with us and…" Jin started.

"I'm sorry but...I have to leave Fodlan...so I can learn to be a better person and maybe get over this long sorrow." Rhea said.

Cedric lets go of the grip of his sword at that.

"I see. I hope you find the answers you seek, Rhea." Alex said.

"As do I." Rhea said as she slowly departed.

The fighting was soon drawing to a stop before the six emerged from the lower levels.

"Everyone! The war...is over! Fodlan...is united!" Glitz shouted as the army cheered.

"(Byleth, I hope wherever you are, that you are seeing this.)" Alex thought.

"Uh...Alex...I know what you're thinking. You might wanna turn around." Jin said as they turned and saw Byleth applauding them.

"Professor! How...long have you been there?" Athena asked.

"For a good while. We did promise to meet back up again, didn't we?" Byleth said.

"Yes, also, I like the lighter hair color." Alex said pointing to Byleth's light green hair before pulling him into a brotherly hug. "Welcome back."

"But...nevermind. Welcome back, teach." Glitz said as they all gathered around him.

After a long campaign, the war for Fodlan was finally...over.


	16. Epilogue: Fodlan's Future

"And so that is how the war for Fodlan played out." Glitz wrote. "With the territories united, we renamed the place the United Kingdom of Fodlan. As for its ruler, it's been decided that Byleth would be the best choice as someone to rule this country with Edelgard and Dimitri acting as his advisors."

"Brother, what are you writing?" Jin asked.

"Letter to our parents. They're gonna wanna know what happened before we get home." Glitz said.

"We've already gotten our reply back." Cedric said. "Our parents were...quite surprised to put it mildly, but at the same time, they were impressed, saying that they probably would've done the same."

"No surprise considering the kind of trouble they caused back in the day." Athena said.

"As for our Dad, he just wanted to say that he was proud of us and to continue discovering new worlds and such." Alex said.

"Yeah. A shame this is the end of our academy life." Glitz said. "But honestly, it's been fun."

"Yeah...cause now begins our hero career!" Jin shouted.

"What? Wait, I never agreed to that!" Glitz said as Jin ran off. "Hey, get back here you…"

"*sigh* Old habits die hard, don't they?" Cedric asked.

"Heh. Yes. They certainly do. Guess this is where we part too." Maya said.

"But this isn't the end. I have this feeling that we'll see each other again." Cheetah II said brushing her tail on Cedric.

"Hey, I think you would be better with me, pretty kitty." Oliver said.

"I could destroy you with one claw." Cheetah II said.

"A swing and a miss." Oliver said backing away.

"Nice try, Oliver. But like your father, you'll find someone, don't you worry." Nicole said.

"Yeah...maybe you'll meet a nice siren girl someday while acting like a goof." Carine said.

"Yeah maybe...wait a minute!" Oliver said as Carine laughed.

"Ah, you are so easy sometimes." Carine said.

"Hehe, man I love you guys." Edward laughed. "We should get together again sometime... y'know, without the people trying to kill us part."

"I doubt I'll have the time." Ben replied. "My galaxy is still facing the First Order, and my parents will need all the help they can get."

"Thrust from one war to another. Your life just never gets easy, does it?" Tatsuya asked.

"Nah, it really doesn't. I'll actually be here a bit longer." Glitz said returning.

"Really Glitz? Why?" Jason asked.

"I made a promise." Glitz said showing some formulas.

"Wait...are these…" Ryuuko asked.

"Potential ways to remove crests." Glitz said.

"You're really going to try it? Remove Edelgard and Lysithea's crests?" Voltic asked.

"That's right. I want to see them live long lives and be free from this curse they fell under." Glitz said.

"Well, I hope it all works out, Glitz." Cedric said.

"Don't worry. It may seem impossible but that's what I love about science. Always something new to try and solve." Glitz said.

"Yeah, science!" Edward said. "If anybody can do it, you can! And uh...I on the off-chance you get stumped, just call. I'll help in any way I can, k?"

"I'll call you if I need a gorilla to do some heavy lifting." Glitz said.

"It's a deal!" Edward said, grinning.

"So...what's on the agenda for you two?" Glitz asked Jason and Claude.

"I'm planning on going to Almyra. Since there's no more alliance, I can be free to do as I please." Claude said.

"I was thinking about trying to refine my skills." Jason said. "Glitz, what you said at the Battle of the Eagle and Lion… I'm taking it to heart."

"What do you mean, Jason?" Kaze asked.

"I shouldn't be my dad…. I should be the future. I'm gonna travel the world and be my own hero, the way I want to be, not the way dad was." Jason said. "I'll serve the world, with spear in hand."

"Heh. Well then, I wish you the best of luck then." Glitz said.

"Sounds like you know whatcha want, Jason." Cross said. "Me, I'm headin' back home to pick up my stuff and start taking jobs again. Bows are great to use, but I can't work without my six-shooter."

"I need to head back too. Dad must be worried about me." Ryuuko said. "Plus, I'm the next head of the clan, so I'm a little too important to be out in the open this long."

"What will you do, Cedric, Athena?" Jason asked.

"I think we'll be heading back to Floralia. The events here have told us that we'll need a bit more training before we can go out on our own journey." Cedric said. "Plus, I'm sure Father and Mother would like to catch up and let us know how much we missed."

"Father would want to hear about the success of my work. I should head back as well." Atlas said. "You should too, Thetis."

"Yeah, wouldn't want mom to get angry at me." Thetis said. "At least our cousins will be happy to see us."

"I think the four of us will head home too, I think we need a break after everything we've been through." Alex said.

"Yeah, wouldn't want to be on the receiving end on Dad's cooking ladle." Aiden said.

"I'll s-see you again right?" Maria asked Cedric with a blush.

"Of course we'll see each other again." Cedric said.

"O-Okay. I'll hold you to that." Maria said as she quickly kissed his cheek before following after Alex and the others.

"Careful, Cedric. Get a little too close, and you'll fall for her spell." Cheetah II said.

"Sh-shut it, Valeria." Cedric said with a blush.

"Still...this war pales when it comes to the big ones our families fought in." Glitz said. "Doesn't even compare to the biggest battle against the family of our old man's archenemy."

"What are you talking about?" Cross asked.

"Huh? You haven't heard? It's one of the biggest events ever to occur back then. A famous scientist and explorer pitting his 25 families against each other for a chance at a massive fortune. They called it…" Glitz said.

THE INHERITANCE WAR SAGA

_Present Day..._

Back in the Galaxy King, David woke up in his room.

"What the? What's with all the alerts?" Nami asked.

"The alarms are going off. Some sort of footage is overtaking all of the major TV stations and video receivers in every universe." Miles said.

"Just before we could leave Paris too." Rarity said holding several bags.

"You've certainly been busy." Sachiko said.

"Well, some of us like to look their best for everything. Not all of us can wear the same thing everyday." Rarity said.

"What...in the worlds is this?" Jexi said as footage began to appear across all of the worlds as a familiar face appeared.

"Dad?!" Damien said.

"It's Cretaceous!" Hope said.

"Hello all who live within the worlds. My name is Cretaceous Flux. Be calm, this is not an invasion by any means. Now...to explain. To all who bare my last name Flux...the time has come. I only have a short year left to live, which means...the battle for the inheritance will now begin." he said.

"Oh boy… We just got into the fight of our lives." David said as he finished getting dressed.

"It's about to begin…" Hope said. "The war between 25 families who bear the name Flux. The Prize… all of Cretaceous's work."

"The Inheritance war." Jexi said. "We all knew this would be coming eventually."

"Now...I will explain how this will work. To each of my kin who bare my blood: I give you three options: To Save, To Find or To Kill. To Find is simple, you will have to find my location. To Kill: you will have to kill a target given to you and find me and kill me as well. And to Save, for that you will have to cure the affliction on my body known only as Malice as well as find where I am. As we speak, multiple Delibird's are delivering notecards to each of my kin. Check them and you will be given more instructions. You all have until the 1st of spring. That's six months. However, if none of you succeed, my fortune will go to my eldest child. It was the eldest sister of the 2nd but...thanks to a new discovery, the fortune will resolve over to...Artemis Coronus Flux of my 1st family." Cretaceous said.

"WHAT?!" Hope said. "He can't give the fortune over to Arthur, that's insane!"

"Imagine what a guy like Arthur could do with all of Cretaceous's knowledge…" Gemini said.

"I think you two are overreacting." Tokoyami said.

"Sorry. It's still shocking that Arthur's of the Flux Family too." Hope said.

"Hope, we already know that Arthur is Artemis. Francisca revealed it all the way in Cho-Tokyo, remember?" David asked.

"Yeah, I know." Hope said.

"Hmmm...wonder how the other Flux Family members might take it?" Mina said.

_At ASG HQ…_

"His...fortune. That includes all of his scientific knowledge and weapons." Theodore said grinning ear to ear. "I am so in! I'll become the president with that power!"

_In the Universal Prison…_

"So much money...come on! Let me outta here! I gotta earn me that fat stack of cash!" James said.

_Somewhere on New World…_

"One final chance." Flux said. "This is my last chance to beat those heroes and Jexi."

_At the Neo Dimensional Heroes's base…_

"You're going too, right Kenshin?" Leonis asked.

"I've said this before. My father's fortune holds no interest for me." Kenshin said.

"Same here. A hero needs no dollar signs. Only his can do spirit!" Heart said posing.

"Barry, you're part of their family too. Will you participate?" Zexi asked.

"You know what?" Barry Flux said, his clenched fists going unnoticed. "I think I will."

_The New Universal Villains ship…_

"This is your chance, Techno!" Dadan said. "If you get your hands on Cretaceous's fortune, you'll have all the powers of the multiverse at your disposal!"

"That certainly sounds promising." Techno mused. "I'll do it. I will win this Inheritance War!"

"That's the spirit. And at the same time...we get to spread our influence to the other villainous groups out there." DaDan said laughing.

Back at the Galaxy King…

"So much is going to happen now. I'm looking forward to this. Dad...I'm coming to see you again." Damien said.

To be continued...


End file.
